Like a Playboy
by fingers interlocked
Summary: He's always been some sort of a playboy & she's always been some sort of a goody-two-shoes. But it's okay 'coz it's her & it's him & somehow, they still fit to be the perfect two. Austin&Ally. Auslly. AU.
1. Chapter One – Her Drunk Hero

**Like a Playboy**

_Chapter One – Her Drunk Hero_

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**-x-**

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**Summary: **He's always been some sort of a playboy & she's always been some sort of a goody-two-shoes. But it's okay 'coz it's her & it's him & somehow, they still fit to be the perfect two. Austin&Ally. Auslly. AU.

**Rating: **Rated T for strong language & drunk scenes :)

**Inspiration: **Well, it's a cliché idea but, I've wanted to put Austin into that playboy kind of character for awhile now but, I just really hadn't conjured up a good plot for a fic so, I didn't. But after a little incident down town with my friends, I finally got it! & well, here's what came out of it :P

**A/N: **I've never really thought I'd end up falling in love with Austin & Ally this much but, here I am, doing the unexpected — writing a fic about them. Most of the Auslly fics I've read are really good so the bar is set really high but I still hope you guys like this ^^ I haven't written a fic outside Peter Pan fics in awhile so, I'm sorry if I end up sounding all too posh or whatever. I'll just try & get back to getting used to this casual tone again XD Enjoy ;*

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Austin&Ally & I never will but one of these days, I'll meet Ross Lynch & Laura Marano in person :')

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**-x-**

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It was the last day of that year's summer and everyone did their best to enjoy their last remaining day of freedom from the torture that is school and work. Children and teenagers raced towards the beach where the grand carnival was taking place while adults enjoyed their last chance to get wasted, drinking their heart out and laughing out loud at the benches near the park. Couples walked hand-in-hand together along the sandy coast of the sea as all the grandmas and grandpas sat outside their houses on their rocking chairs, overlooking the doings of this generation's youth.

And on her way to the crowded beach, walking as slowly as she could with her precious book held tightly against her chest, was the curly-haired brunette with sparkling brown eyes — Allyster Marie Dawson. Her hair was put up in a very loose bun as she wore a simple white baby doll top and shorts along with her white flip-flops. Her big sunglasses covered her usually bright eyes as her lips pursed itself into a tight line.

Ally's walk towards the beach was fidgety and brisk as nervousness took over her whole body. Her arms were crossed — trapping in them her precious book — and her palms were sweating non-stop. The laughter and senseless chatter she heard as she made her way through the crowd of people was only adding onto the nerves as she tried her best to avoid thinking of the reason of why she's heading there. But one thing's for sure, she did not want to go there at all.

"Ally! Wait up!" Someone called from behind, making the brunette girl turn back around, only to see her long-time best friend — Patricia Maria de la Rosa.

"Yes?" She asked, trying her best not to sound impatient for she wanted to get this task done and over with before her cowardly personality takes over and stops her.

"Are you sure about this?" Her short friend asked, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow.

Ally bit her bottom lip for a moment before deciding to answer, "Yes."

"You don't have to do it though!" Trish — short for Patricia — shouted as she grabbed Ally by her thin shoulders and started to vigorously shake her.

"But I want to." The taller girl sighed as she gently placed her shaky hands on top of Trish's, halting the other girl's harassment. "If I don't get it back from him, I'll never be able to live it down."

"But Ally, it's not even about you!" Trish frowned as she took her hands off her friend's shoulder. "You don't have to do this for me."

"I'm not just doing it for you Trish." Ally sighed as she turned her gaze back down on the ground. "I need to do this for my dad too. He trashed our music store."

"But Ally—" Trish tried to say but Ally had cut her off.

"Thanks for your concern. You're an amazing friend but, I just have to do this." And with that said, Ally put a reassuring hand on Trish's shoulder and smiled at her warmly before turning back towards the beach's direction and heading to the carnival.

"Be safe..." Trish said helplessly as she watched her best friend's back disappear in account of the distance. She could only hope that Darren doesn't hit girls.

_:::_

Ally finally found Darren sitting on a bench near the open outdoor bar that was set-up specially just for the carnival. He was laughing out loud wildly as some of the boys surrounding him patted his back encouragingly. Seeing the sight, Ally puffed her cheeks as she could already tell that not only was he drunkenly bragging about trashing her family's store but was also showing off about playing with her best friend's little ol' heart.

_The nerve of that guy!_

She inhaled in a large supply of air, hoping it would help calm her down as she tried on the best glare she could muster. With a new surge of determination coursing through her veins, she charged with stomping feet and tightly balled fists towards the little group of drunkards.

"Darren!" She shouted over to him, trying her best to make sure her voice did not crack.

"Oh, would you look at that. It's the fat midget's awkward friend." The messy ginger-haired boy with blue eyes said, snickering as his friends laughed out loud behind him.

"Trish is not a midget and she is not fat!" Ally snapped, the insult towards her friend setting fire to her already boiling anger. "And I am not awkward!"

"Whatever." He snorted, closing his eyes in annoyance. "What're you doing here anyway?"

"I want you to give Trish back her dog-tag!" Ally commanded, glaring hard at him as she folded her arms. He raised his eyebrow in amusement at the sudden out-of-character display the girl is putting up.

"And why would I do that?" He asked, standing up as he started walking towards her.

"Erm—I—it—er, belongs to her." Ally stammered, sudden realization of what she has done hitting her, full blast. He smirked as he saw the little bit of courage inside her slowly dissipate.

"Wow. I should really give this back to her then." He smugly grinned as he spoke in vicious sarcasm.

"Y—you should." Ally said, her voice shaking as he got closer with each step, the strong scent of liquor heavily oozing out of his mouth.

"I will." He said, taking a step back as Ally opened her mouth to retort back, only to realize what he had said.

"You will?" She asked, her jaw slightly dropping from the shock.

"Of course." He grinned even wider, it's smugness still not coming off. "As long as I get a little something back in exchange for it."

"Oh, yes. I don't know what you would really like but I could maybe, um, buy you another drink or..." Ally said, rambling on as Darren smirked at her density — the fact that she did not get the suggestive tone he had put out there.

"Ally." He said, snapping her out of her little ramble.

"Yes?" She asked, looking up in confusion as the eyes of Darren's friends behind him looked at her with vicious and hungry eyes. She gulped, suddenly realizing what he had meant.

"I—" He spoke in a slurred manner as he took a step forward towards her shaking body. "—want—" He suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder causing a pained gasp to come out from her mouth. "—you."

In a blink of an eye, Darren had grabbed Ally and pushed her down onto the table filled with their empty bottles and cans of liquor and alcohol. She tried to squirm out of his hold but his friends suddenly helped and pulled her down, pinning her onto the table. Her eyes widened in horror as the sadistic smiles of the lust-filled boys looked her down like some piece of meat. She let out a small whimper, her eyes forming fresh new tears of fear as her sunglasses fell to ground, breaking.

And when all hope was gone—

"Find some class you bastards." An angry voice hissed from behind all the chaos as everyone turned to look at who the owner was.

There stood — hands on his pocket with a disapproving frown gracing his lips — was a bleached-blonde haired boy with innocent dark brown eyes with a look that could kill. Oh, the irony of that sentence indeed.

"Oh. Well, if it isn't Miami's very own Superman — Austin Moon, to the rescue." Darren grunted as he turned back around to continue his advancements towards the poor defenseless girl.

"Don't compare me to that idiot in red tights." Austin — Ally assumes is his name — scowled in irritation as he started to walk towards the group, eyeing Ally carefully.

_She's cute._

"Whatever, pretty boy. We don't have time to deal with you right now." Darren said, trying to shoo Austin away with a threatening killer look that could match the blonde's. "As you can see—" he said, pointing down at Ally, "—we're quite busy for now."

What happened next was unexpected as Austin grinned at them with closed eyes before punching Darren square on the jaw and then bending down to kick all the other boys — that kept Ally captive — on their groins after. With all the drunkards finally down on the ground, Austin took this chance to grab Ally's hand and take off with her.

Ally, still in shock from all that has happened, hesitantly let the strange boy drag her away from the heap of a mess that were the drunkards that tried to harass her. Looking back, she saw Darren giving her — and possibly Austin — an angry glare and his infamous middle finger. With wide eyes, she turned back to look at her savior's back.

_Hello, stranger?_

_:::_

They've been running around the whole carnival for almost fifteen minutes now, trying to get as faraway as possible from Darren and his friends. She was tired and her feet were already too weak to keep on going so, after a few more minutes of running away, they both came to a halt as both of them panted — with Ally panting a little bit more harder than Austin. Austin suddenly let go of her hand as Ally bent down to take in some air.

"Are you okay?" She heard him ask her as he tried to gain his own breath back. This caused Ally to glance up at him from her position.

"Erm, yeah." She mumbled, finally seeing and realizing just how good-looking he was.

She saw his tousled bleached-blonde hair sticking up all over the place — as he ran his hand through it — and his dark chocolate eyes that screamed nothing but innocence. She bit her bottom lip once again, turning to look back down at the ground, scared that he might see how red her face had turned.

"You sure?" He asked, bending down to get a good look at her, his eyebrow raising in amusement as he saw her scarlet red face.

"Yes!" She said, jumping up, startled from the sudden close proximity of their faces. "I'm all fine and dandy!"

_Ally, stop talking! You're embarrassing yourself!_

"Hahahaha! You're cute!" He grinned at her as he straightened up, causing the brunette girl to gasp and look up at him.

"I—uh—I'm...er, thanks?" She stuttered, straightening up as well but still looking down at the ground. She bit on her lip even harder, having the strong urge to just shove all of her hair into her mouth and just start chewing the life out of it.

She could not believe such a handsome boy would take time off his day, not only to save her but also to tell her that she's cute. She felt her face heat up even more.

"No problem!" He grinned even wider — if possible — at her. "Now, erm, I gotta go. But, just stay out of trouble next time, 'kay?"

"Yeah. Sure. Thanks." Her reply was short, fast and breathless as her heart started beating faster the moment she saw the light of concern flickering across his eyes.

"Good." He nodded in content before turning back to head off to wherever. "Take care!"

And with a wave of a hand, he ran off, leaving her on her own in the heat of the carnival once again.

"The stars in his eyes are shining." She muttered as she saw his back disappear through the crowd. She smiled as her eyes widened. "Lyrics!"

Pulling out her book — which she had safely tucked in at the back of her shorts — she opened it to a particular page and started scribbling on it with the pen that she always manage to remember to bring. Biting her lip once again, she looked up at the direction the boy had disappeared to.

"Austin, huh?"

_:::_

_Hello stranger, what's your name?  
__I know you don't know me but,  
__Can't we play this little game?_

Nibbling on at the flesh of her bottom lip, Ally wrote down on her book the random lyrics that had come to her mind. She didn't really expect it to all suddenly hit her so she was a little bit taken aback but, the fact that she's finally had inspiration to write yet another song, she wasn't gonna turn that down.

Her eyes scanned the words that she'd written and she wondered if it had anything to do with that Austin boy that she met. After all, his smile was a little bit addictive and the hold of his hand on her wrist felt strangely right. Maybe, she was gaining a little crush?

After acknowledging such thing, Ally scolded herself and slammed her book close. She mentally cursed herself for thinking such nonsensical thoughts and then cursed again for cursing. Her hand gripped the pen tightly, hoping to get rid of the urge to continue on writing the lyrics that are dying to spill out of her.

"Where's that picture of the ice cream?" She heard a familiar voice ask and she turned around to see Austin himself, surrounded by some boys, with his arm around a dirty blonde-haired girl's shoulder.

"I got it on my phone." A ginger-haired boy beside him chuckled as he showed Austin whatever it was.

"Man. That really does look like a dick." Austin muttered as the girl beside him giggled.

Ally turned around and puffed her cheeks before opening up her book once again, crossing out the previous lyrics she had written.

_That guy!_

"So Austin, where were you earlier on?" She heard the girl ask. "We kept calling you but you never picked up."

"Sorry babe." Austin said, making Ally's ear twitch. "Just had some shit to take care of."

_Some shit? If he thought saving me was just 'some shit' then he shouldn't have done so in the first place!_

Ally grunted as she kept scribbling down on her book, her own frustration controlling the movement of the hand that guided the pen she held.

"What was it?" She heard another boy ask, probably the ginger-haired one.

"It's nothing." He mumbled, causing Ally to let go of the pen.

"Bastard." She muttered as she looked down at the ground, tears starting to form on the rim of her eyes.

She didn't really know why this had such a big effect on her. It wasn't like she was expecting anything from that little chance meeting they had. She thought he was cute, sure but, why was she getting so worked up over the fact that he's got his arm draped 'round that pretty girl as he refused to talk about the little meeting that happened between them? It didn't make sense at all!

"Ally!" Someone shouted right in front of her, making her snap her head up, only to come face-to-face with her best friend — Trish.

"Oh!" She exclaimed with wide eyes before smiling a slightly sad smile at her friend. "Hey."

"Uh-oh." Trish sighed as she leaned down on the table, frowning. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry Trish." Ally said, looking down — in shame — at the ground once again before whispering, "I couldn't get your tag back."

"Ally, it's fine." Trish said, giving Ally a genuinely reassuring smile. "I didn't expect you to."

"I know you didn't but I—" Ally tried to start another one of her infamous rambles before Trish cut her off.

"The only thing that matters now is that you're fine." Trish smiled even wider as Ally looked up at her in confusion. She then grinned and said, "I'd rather have my best friend than that tag any day!"

This caused Ally to smile as she softly muttered to Trish a simple, "Thank you."

"No problem!" Trish grinned even wider before getting up her seat. "I'm gonna get me a drink. You want anything?"

"Nope." Ally grinned as she closed her book again. "I'm good."

"Suit yourself." Trish shrugged before stalking off over to the counter.

Once her best friend was completely gone, Ally sighed deeply before turning around to take a look at what that boy Austin is up to now. As far as she could see, it seemed like the girl he had his arms draped around on was gone and the only ones left with him was that same ginger-haired boy and two other ones with brown and black hair. They all seemed to be laughing out loud and from what Ally could see and hear, he was drunk. What, with the empty cans and bottles of Breezer and WKD and his slurred speech, it was pretty obvious he wasn't that 'Superman' Austin — not that she remembered how he hated to be called 'Superman' — that had saved her earlier on.

"So, what's the real reason you were late anyway?" The black-haired boy asked as he nudged Austin by the arm, giving him a very knowing look.

"Pft. It's nothing." Austin shrugged as he smirked smugly at all of them. "Just got caught up in some fight. No big deal."

"Who with?" The brunette boy asked curiously as he raised a curious eyebrow at his blonde friend.

"Just people." Austin shrugged again, this time, leaning back and closing his eyes.

"Oh! Come on Austin! What was it really?" The black-haired boy whined as he playfully punched Austin on the arm. "What're you keeping from us?"

"Swear to all the Vodka in the world it's nothing." Austin muttered before opening his eyes to scan the room. Seeing this, Ally immediately turned back around, wishing and hoping that he didn't see her.

Crossing her fingers, Ally grabbed a handful of her hair before shoving it in her mouth as she started chewing at it almost instantly — succumbing into her nervous temptations.

"Whatever." She heard one of Austin's friends grunt. "Be all mysterious and secretive like that then."

Sighing deeply, Ally spat out her hair before looking up to see Trish walking back towards their table with a tray full of nachos and a can of orange Royal.

"Heeeeey." She grinned as she plopped down on her seat right across Ally.

"Hi." Ally smiled slightly as she felt herself find comfort at the sight of her best friend's hungry antics.

"I love the nachos here! They're like the perfect kind of crunchy and the cheese is like the perfect kind of cheesy." Trish excitedly said as she started stuffing her face with the nachos, muttering an occasional 'So good' and 'Amazing' every now and then, making Ally laugh softly.

"I'm glad you're enjoying your—" Ally tried to say to her best friend but she immediately got cut off as she heard Austin's familiar voice ring through the air.

"Wait a minute Dez! I just need to flirt with these girls!" He said in a slurred manner.

"What girls?" His friend's voice came with a confused tone.

Ally's body stiffened as she felt a strong presence behind her, the smell of strong liquor accompanying it as Trish's eyes grew wide, looking up at whoever it was.

"Hello ladies." Came Austin's smooth — albeit slurred — voice as he bent down to lean on Ally's shoulder, his hot breath tickling the sensitive skin of her ear, making her shudder. "Specially to you, girlie."

"Erm, Austin, I think we should—" His friend tried to speak as he took a step closer — letting Ally see from the corner of her eyes that it was the ginger-haired boy — before Austin rudely cut him off.

"Oh, come on Dez! I'm just having a bit of fun!" He whined as he leaned even closer to Ally, making the brunette shut her eyes tight, the tears that were dying to come out earlier on, ready to burst out.

"Why don't you show them the ice cream penis you made and took a picture of from yesterday?" Ally heard another one of his friends snicker as Trish rolled her eyes.

"Hmmm..." Austin murmured before taking his phone out of his back pocket and shoving it right in front of Ally, showing her a picture of an ice cream. "Do you know what this is?"

Ally opened her brown eyes to take a sneak at whatever it was before she shut them close again as she squeaked out a soft 'Ice cream'. Trish raised her eyebrow at this before turning her head away, trying her best not to laugh.

"Cream comes out of it." Austin snickered while grinning as he rested his chin on Ally's shoulder, causing the girl to stiffen at the sudden intimate contact.

Trish's eyes bulged out as she covered her mouth, trying to contain her laughter that was just dying to burst out of her due to the sight before her.

"Austin—" The ginger haired boy tried to speak again but Austin cut him off once again.

"What's your name?" Austin asks Ally as he lifted his head up so that his chin didn't rest on her anymore. Instead, he just slung his arm over her shoulder.

Ally continued to squeeze her eyes shut, wishing that he'd just go away already. The way he was acting was so different from the guy who had helped her earlier on and she did not want to believe that this drunk flirt was the same guy she dubbed as her 'hero' not even a few hours ago.

The brunette girl held onto her book tightly for dear life, as if clinging on to it would make it all feel better. Trish was no help at all as she just quietly sat across Ally (and Austin) trying — and obviously failing — to hide her amused laughter.

Austin then leaned his head on Ally's as he started to speak again, asking Trish as he pointed at Ally, "Why is she not answering me?"

Trish could only shrug half-heartedly as a laughing fit dared to erupt out of her mouth. This earned her a raised eyebrow from the ginger-haired boy and a 'not so amused' scowl from Austin.

"She's being rude." He grunted as he let go of Ally, scratching the back of his neck. "Why is she being rude?"

Before Trish could say anything back to Austin, the ginger-haired friend of the blonde decided to speak up once again, trying his luck one more time, saying, "Austin, we gotta go."

Ignoring his friend's urgent request, Austin just shrugged before snaking his arm around Ally's waist, causing a gasp to escape from the brunette's lips as she fluttered her eyes open, jumping up from her seat a little. Feeling the slight jump — that he caused — from the brunette, Austin grinned before turning his full attention back to Trish.

"Is she always this rude?" Austin asked innocently at Trish as the feisty latina girl just rolled her eyes and dismissed his question with a shrug. Austin grunted as he let go of Ally before glaring at Trish, asking her, "What's your name?"

Slightly taken aback by the question, Trish just gaped at him — her mouth hanging wide open — as she continued to stare at the boy in front of her in bewilderment while he just shrugged in irritation before growling.

"Why are you both so rude?" He snapped before turning around to catch up with his ginger-haired friend who was now sick of Austin's lollygagging and has now started to head straight for the exit of the restaurant. He then grunted as he left, muttering to Ally and Trish, "Whatever. I gotta go."

Two seconds later, Ally finally released the breath she never knew she was holding as Trish stood up to take her now empty plate of food to the trashcan before exploding in laughter. This caused Ally to glare at the back of her best friend as all the customers stared at the curly-haired latina girl with confused and amused looks.

"Trish you should—" Before Ally could even finish, she felt someone sit down beside her and as she turned to look and see who it was, her eyes grew wide as her chocolate brown eyes clashed with another pair of brown innocent ones.

Still in the heat of the shock, Ally kept her mouth open, unable to think of what to say before the boy in front of her grinned as he leaned in to kiss her cheek before standing up to finally, really, leave. But, before he could completely walk out of the restaurant, he turned to face Ally's confused-filled eyes with his very own dopey smile.

"I love you." He mouthed at Ally with a wink of his eye before he completely turned to leave.

"Oh my God." Was all Trish could say before she started howling in laughter.

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**-x-**

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**IMPORTANT!**

So, how'd you guys like that? Was it good? Bad? Was my Peter Pan writing style rubbing hard on it 'coz trust me, it's been awhile since I've written outside of Peter Pan :s I hope the plot somehow caught your attention though and that the drunk Austin didn't throw you off the fic. I haven't been inspired to write much lately but I've ran out of Auslly fics to read that I just had to write one or else my addiction would drive me insane. Now, as for the whole ice cream thing with Austin, funny story, it happened to me & my friends down town & well, while ice cream guy wasn't drunk, he did have that Austin-feel in him XD Hahahaha, I was so inspired by him (surprisingly, I got a crush on this guy now :P) that I just decided to write a fic about the event. It was originally intended to be a one-shot but now that I'm so super inspired, I'll just turn it into a chapter fic ^^ I hope you guys do like it & I haven't completely wrapped my head around the whole plot but, I know where this story's gonna go so, I hope you guys like it ^^ Reviews would be so much appreciated so, lemme know what you guys think, aye? :) Again, sorry for this long rant but, I just wanted to get this point across but now that I'm done, yeah... Okay, bye & read & review please XD Oh, and sorry for the strong language. It's a force of habit I'm trying to get rid of. Btw, if you can find a better title for this fic, I'd really appreciate it :')


	2. Chapter Two – Her First Kiss

**Like a Playboy**

_Chapter Two – Her First Kiss_

* * *

**-x-**

* * *

**Summary: **He's always been some sort of a playboy & she's always been some sort of a goody-two-shoes. But it's okay 'coz it's her & it's him & somehow, they still fit to be the perfect two. Austin&Ally. Auslly. AU.

**Rating: **Rated T for strong language & drunk scenes :)

**Inspiration: **Well, it's a cliché idea but, I've wanted to put Austin into that playboy kind of character for awhile now but, I just really hadn't conjured up a good plot for a fic so, I didn't. But after a little incident down town with my friends, I finally got it! & well, here's what came out of it :P

**A/N: **Sorry for the clichéness of this chapter! It wasn't suppose to sound that corny ¬.¬ But, on the bright side, my Peter Pan phase is finally going away XD Enjoy this chapter ;*

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Austin&Ally & I never will but one of these days, I'll meet Ross Lynch & Laura Marano in person :')

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**-x-**

* * *

She walked along the school hallway, her mind in complete turmoil as last night's events kept replaying at the back of her mind. She could still smell the thick scent of alcohol — making her nose cringe at this — as the memories of her encounter with that Austin Moon boy invaded her thoughts. No matter how much she didn't want to think of him, she did.

She thought of his perfectly messy bleached-blonde hair and his charming smile — whether he's drunk or not, the guy's smile is charming — and his beautiful, innocent chocolate brown eyes.

_Innocent? That guy is anything but innocent!_

She bit her bottom lip again — something she's been doing quite a lot since the day before — as she rid herself of those unwanted thoughts and made her way through the crowd of students, avoiding eye contact with each person that passed her by. Her left arm hugged her special book safely against her chest as her other free hand fisted the hem of her little black floral dress. The first day of school was always something Ally had dreaded.

Upon reaching her locker, she sighed in relief as she put in her combination before opening it, revealing to her all her old books from freshmen year. She smiled slightly at the memory, closing her eyes to take in that very moment's air. It is, after all, her first day as a sophomore.

"Ally! Wake up!" Someone shouted behind her, making the brunette girl jump, startled at the screeching voice that had disrupted her thoughts. She turned around to see who it was, only to come face-to-face with her best friend — Trish.

"Oh." She let out softly as she smiled at her best friend who just stood there in front of her with an arched eyebrow. "Hi Trish!"

"Oh, don't you 'hi Trish' me!" Trish grumbled as she slammed Ally's locker close, causing Ally to wince at the sudden violent action. "I've been hollering at you for like five minutes now and you just ignored me!"

"Sorry!" Ally grinned sheepishly at the short latina who just rolled her eyes. "I just, I got lost in my thoughts."

"Really?" Trish asked sarcastically as she folded her arms and shook her head. "Tsk tsk. I did not know that!"

"It's just a little hard to take in the fact that we're in sophomore year now." Ally sighed, ignoring Trish's last comment as she leaned her head against her locker while looking up in a dreamy manner. "It's so weird."

"I know." Trish sighed softly as she shrugged her shoulders carelessly. "I thought freshmen year would never end."

"Got that right." Ally nodded her head in agreement as she got off the locker.

"Right. Anyway, I gotta go to homeroom." Trish grunted while grabbing her bag which she had left laying down on the floor earlier on. "Sucks not being in the same homeroom as you."

"You know, you could be if you just tried to get good grades." Ally laughed softly as she too, picked up her own brown, leather bag.

"Yeah. Like you'll try to fail to get into my homeroom class." Trish said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes before stalking off to get to her homeroom class.

"Yeah right." Ally muttered as she turned the opposite direction from Trish before walking off to her own homeroom class as well.

_:::_

Her homeroom class seemed decent enough but, it was definitely a worse class than her old homeroom class from the year before. All the good little girls seemed to have started their first steps into being sluts and the cute, innocent little boys aren't so cute or innocent anymore. The worst part of it all was, it's only their first day in their second year in high school and things have already taken a drastic turn of change.

_Well, this is just great!_

Sighing, Ally took a seat by the window, right in front of the teacher's desk, as she took out her special book to start writing out some possible lyrics to pass her time.

_You've got that guitar, ready to strum  
I smile at the sidelines, ready to hum  
Sing on that tune pretty little boy  
Don't be so shy 'coz you the real McCoy_

Ally frowned, not really feeling the lyrics she's written. They were good but, it's not normally the kind of lyrics she'd write. She's written some like these in the past before but, they weren't usual at all. But now, all she could seem to write were upbeat, pop tunes with tongue-twisting lyrics to match. Upbeat and pop was definitely not what Allyster Marie Dawson was all about.

With a loud and long sigh, she decided to give up on the lyrics as she closed her book, resting her head on the table. She then started to scan the room with her pretty brown eyes to see what her classmates had been up to. But, nothing seemed interesting enough to catch her eye so, she just turned her head towards the window to look at the clouds.

_Hmmm, that one looks like a snowman in a pirate hat._

Giggling to herself, Ally continued to stare at the clouds, not realizing that someone had walked in on the class through the front door of the classroom.

"Erherm." A strict but feminine voice was heard across the whole room as Ally looked up to see the source of the voice.

There, at the front, stood a woman of about forty to fifty with dark brown hair and lips smothered in red lipstick. She was thin and wore a white tube underneath her pink blazer that matched her long pink skirt and pink shoes. Ally cringed her nose at the sight of the woman before her.

_Too much pink._

"Hello class." She spoke, her voice strong and stern. "My name is Mrs. Amanda McLaughlin and I will be your homeroom teacher for this year."

Everyone silently nodded as the teacher smiled in wicked satisfaction. Walking towards her desk, she turned to look at the empty seat beside Ally.

"You." She pointed rudely at Ally as the brunette winced at the sudden call.

"Y—yes ma'm?" She answered nervously as she stood up, saluting at the teacher. This earned her a raised eyebrow from Mrs. McLaughlin and a few snickers behind her from her classmates.

"Who sits beside you?" Mrs. McLaughlin asked, delicately playing with the tips of her pink-polished nails.

"Erm, I—I, I don't know." She stuttered, staring down at the ground as her hands clasped each other tightly, looking for comfort to ease her raging nerves.

"There's meant to be thirty people in this class and currently, there's only twenty-nine." The devilish teacher said in a matter-of-fact tone as she raised her eyebrow at all her other students. "Where's your other classmate?"

Everyone just looked at each other and shrugged before turning to look back at the teacher with faces that said 'I don't know'. Sighing, Mrs. McLaughlin twirled a strand of her hair in between her fingers before shooing Ally off to the front door.

"Go find your classmate little girl and don't come back 'til he's here." She instructed before turning to look at the laptop that's been set up on her desk.

Obediently nodding her head, Ally scrambled out of the classroom — away to look for whoever that classmate was — not having any idea on where to go.

_:::_

She's been running around the whole school for almost thirty minutes now and she still hasn't found that missing classmate of hers. She could already guess that he probably came in to class the minute she had left or — better yet — he probably wasn't even in school to begin with! She'd give up but, Ally Dawson just wasn't like that. She was the type to do her best to get a job done and to please people — specially teachers.

But it's been twenty-eight minutes and thirty-one seconds in counting — yes, she was actually counting — since she had got up and left the class to look for her missing classmate and she still had no luck whatsoever. She was definitely on the edge of giving up, ready to turn around and head back — if she could still remember how — to the classroom, when she heard soft moaning and giggling noises.

Her ears perked up as Ally's eyebrow rose up in confusion, her eyes scanning the area she had led herself to. After thirteen seconds of looking around — she was still definitely precise when counting — she came to the conclusion that she was on her way up to the rooftop of the school which, by the way, was off-limits for students.

_Great. First day of school and I'm already breaking the rules! Great start Ally!_

She grunted and decided to turn around and walk down the seemingly endless stairs when another moan came, followed by another set of giggles.

"I wonder..." Ally trailed off as she turned around once again to start walking up the stairs, her curiosity winning the battle against her morals. "It could be my classmate." She tried to convince herself as she continued to make her way up. "Or maybe, the girl's being raped!"

Hearing what she had just said to herself, Ally halted. She was definitely being irrational and she shouldn't be doing what she's about to do. So with as much strength and willpower she could muster, she tried to get back down the stairs but, all of a sudden, the sight of a mesh of messy blonde hair caught her eye and she couldn't help but just take one more step up to finally get a better view of who it was.

Much to her dismay, the two people responsible for the giggling and moaning noises were none other than Austin Moon — oh, how she hated that guy — and that pretty girl he was with yesterday. Her eyebrow shot up in question as the smug smirk that graced his lips broke into a wide grin. Ally turned her head away from the sight as she made gagging noises to herself.

"Babe." She heard Austin's hushed whisper as he gently pushed the girl off of him.

"Yes darling?" The girl winked seductively at him as she brought her hand up to trace his well-toned — at least, that's what Ally non-admittedly liked to think — chest that hid underneath the cover of the blue shirt that he wore.

"Mmmm..." He muttered, licking his lips as he bent down to nibble on her ear.

"Austin..." The girl trailed off breathlessly as Ally tried to turn back around to head back to class but, alas, her feet were being disobedient and seemed to refuse to follow her mind's orders.

"You're really hot." He said haughtily as she smirked and bit her bottom lip, trying to look as seductively tempting as she could.

"I know." She says slowly as she inched closer to him, closing the gap between his body and hers once again.

The action caused him to take a step back against the wall before he spoke, saying, "But I gotta break-up with you."

The unexpected reply from the boy caused Ally to turn and jerk her head up as she looked up at him with wide and surprised — albeit, secretly happy — eyes. A shocked and wide open mouth from the other girl that tried to come onto him was received as well.

"WHAT?" She screeched as the sound of her voice pierced through the air, making both Ally and Austin cover their ears. "You're fucking breaking up with me? Why?"

"I really don't know." He sighed deeply as he ran his hand through his messy blonde hair. "I guess I just wasn't feeling those sparks or whatever anymore."

Ally snickered at his response as she saw the enraged girl's dark green eyes glare at Austin's indifferent mask of a face. For some unknown reason, the sight just made her smile in amusement and happiness as she folded her arms.

_Well, at least he's honest._

"Oh! Fuck you!" The girl screamed as she slapped him hard across the face. "Don't give me that cliché bullshit of an excuse!"

Ally raised her eyebrow in even more amusement as she mouthed to herself a 'Wow' before looking down at the ground, silently and softly trying to control her laughter.

"It's true though." She heard him mutter — probably unintentionally — as he stroked the area she slapped with his thumb. He didn't mean for her to hear — or for him to even say — that but, she heard. And Ally too, herself, had heard.

"Fuck you Austin." The girl shouted at him as she pushed him against the wall. "Kissing me like that and just leaving me? Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"Look, Tiffany I—" He tried to explain but she just rudely cut him off as she started to stomp down the stairs.

"Save your sorry excuses for someone else." She grunted at him. "I don't wanna hear any of that crap!"

Storming down the stairs in extreme frustration, she accidentally bumped into Ally, causing the brunette to catch herself off-balance and nearly fall down. Luckily, she was able to grab onto the bar of the stairs before she completely slipped down the steps.

"Eurgh! Move you ugly bitch!" Tiffany — Ally assumed to be her name — screamed at Ally as she pushed her down the stairs, causing Ally to fall back a step. "What are you even doing here?"

Hearing this, Austin turned to take a look down the stairs to see who was the victim of his (now) ex-girlfriend's verbal assault, only to see Ally Dawson — someone he didn't quite know but seemed familiar enough to him.

"I—er—I was erm..." Ally stuttered as she looked down at the ground — which now seemed to be the most interesting thing in the world right at this moment — shamed that she had been caught.

"Whatever." Tiffany grunted as she shoved pass Ally down the stairs. "Like I care what you fucking do with your life."

"Okay..." Ally whispered, her eyes still fixed on the ground.

_I can't believe this happening to me! This was never part of my plan!_

Being the sensitive girl that she was, tears started to form on the rim of her eyes because, truthfully, being called a 'bitch' was not a normal occurrence to her.

Her grip on the bars of the stairs got tighter as the words Tiffany had just said to her burned itself deeply into the back of her mind.

_I knew I shouldn't have eavesdropped! And she's right! I am an ugly bitch!_

She was frozen in that position as she started to hiccup. Her soft and muffled sniffles could be heard across the whole staircase and before she knew it, the tears in her eyes were starting to fall. But — as unexpected as it was — someone pulled her by the wrist and dragged her down the stairs. With no hesitation or clue whatsoever on what was happening, she just let whoever it was take her down as her mind clouded itself with thoughts of being punished for breaking her morals.

_:::_

She didn't realize it but, she was standing inside the janitor closet with only a single flickering light bulb as a source for light. She also didn't realize that she was in there alone with her drunk hero from the previous night — Austin Moon. So, because she didn't realize any of it at all, she continued on to cry, bawling all her tears out onto the palm of her hands.

Standing there, absolutely not knowing what to do to calm the crying girl down, Austin scratched the back of his neck as he cleared his throat.

Hearing the sudden noise, Ally's head shot up as she revealed to Austin her blotchy and red face with red eyes to match. Seeing this, she quickly turned around and started cursing herself for letting a guy — much less, Austin Moon — see her like that. She then cursed again for cursing.

With the crying girl's back turned away from him, he raised an amused — albeit, confused — eyebrow. He was amused at how, even when she was crying and bawling like a baby, she could still look pretty and cute but, he was also confused on whether to tap her shoulder and try to comfort her or just wait 'til she stops crying. The latter option seemed easy enough but, his curiosity was tempting him to do the former.

_Of all the times I've been alone with a girl in a closet, I always knew what to do! But now I'm like...what the hell?_

Then, an idea hit him. Not his brightest or wisest idea but, it was an idea nonetheless. So, breathing in a large supply of air, he stretched his arms out and shook his head from side to side before rolling his nonexistent sleeves up. He then took one step forward as he reached out to lightly tap Ally's shaking shoulder. This caused Ally to slightly turn her head a bit to take a glance at him which he took as a chance to fully grab her by the shoulder before turning her around so that she was now facing him. Ally shot him a confused look and raised her eyebrow as she wondered to herself what this boy was planning.

_What the—_

Before she could even fully finish her own thoughts' question, he suddenly leaned into her, grabbing her hand before pulling her closer to him as he captured her lips with his own, taking her by surprise with his sudden — albeit, soft and chaste — kiss.

_—hell?_

Her thoughts were racing and his heartbeat was going crazy but, he still continued on to kiss her; starting it off slow and soft as he tried his best not to try and dare get his tongue into her. She hesitates for a moment, not knowing what to do — since obviously, this would be her first — but she starts to kiss back, finally getting into it. But before Austin could finally muster up enough willpower to french the kiss all up, she pushes him off her, realizing what she was doing.

_Oh my God! I cannot believe he just kissed me like that!_

Ally stared at him wide-eyed as she gently touched her lips that had recently been smooching with his. Her bottom lip was still a bit moist from the kiss — and she could still taste his sweet, syrupy taste — as she bit it once again while she eyed him in curious confusion.

Austin stood there, quite shocked of what just happened. Well, the kiss he could believe but, her pushing him off? Now that was something he — Austin M. Moon — was not used to. Girls would melt the minute his soft gentle lips touch theirs!

"I can—" He tried to say to her but she immediately cut him off as she ran out of the janitor's closet, slamming the door shut behind. This left a confused and guilty Austin standing there, staring at the closed door.

_Dammnit!_

As unexpected as his actions was to him, he couldn't help but still punch the wall as the thoughts of what had just happened ran through his mind. Kicking the door of the closet, he grunted and banged his fists onto it.

Normally, this wouldn't affect him much but, for some unknown reason, this caused him a great deal of stress which — if you're Austin Moon — was not good at all.

So now, with extreme determination coursing through his veins, he flung open the door of the closet with so much force, before running out of it, in intent to find that crying girl and possibly beg for her forgiveness.

_:::_

Ally ran out of the closet as fast as she possibly could, her feet doing their best to take her away from the scene of the crime. The crime Austin had just committed; stealing her first kiss.

Tears started to stream down her face even more as she kept thinking back on what had just happened. The way he just unexpectedly grabbed her by the hand, pulling her into him before crashing his lips onto hers; it was all too sudden! And she was guilty too for, she kissed him back! Even if it was only five seconds tops, she still kissed him back!

_Why did I do that? I can't believe him!_

She didn't know where the hell her feet would take her but she didn't care right now. All she wanted to do was to run and get away, as far as possible, from him. She didn't want to see him and his cocky little smile and adorable brown eyes and perfectly messy blonde—

_Shit Ally! Why are you thinking these things? He's definitely a cocky bastard but his eyes are so not adorable and his hair is in no way perfect! It's just a plain ol' messy shit!_

Realizing what she had just thought, Ally cursed herself once again for cursing. It wasn't usual that she cursed so she felt so peeved at herself for letting this guy, not only break her morals, but also make her commit a personal sin.

_God, I'm so sorry! Blame Austin!_

It was ridiculous — the things that she was currently thinking of — but, her mind and her heart were overflowing with so much different thoughts and emotions that she had no idea what was even going on inside her head anymore! She was mad, confused and — as much as she liked to deny it — heartbroken.

_Heartbroken? Pft! Never!_

But no matter how much she says she's not, she is. She had a little crush on him when he saved her because, like the cliché little girl that she is — still believing in knights in shining armors and happy endings — she thought he'd be the one. She knows it's stupid but, her whole life, she's waited for someone to finally come and just sweep her off her feet like all the other princesses and seeing him that day at the carnival — being all hero-like and saving her — she thought he showed her that maybe, fantasies can come true.

But what he just did, she took it the wrong way. With what she realized, her whole fantasy came crashing down as the cold hard truth of reality hit her hard. He didn't care about her. She was not important to him and he was just playing with her. No, he didn't care. All he did was, he saw her and took that as a chance and made a rebound. She may be no genius at basketball or 'playing the field' but, she knew rightly well what a rebound was. She's seen Trish become one a billion times and she did not like the sight of it at all.

_I'm just a rebound._

Stopping dead on her tracks, she started sobbing into the palm of her hands uncontrollably as her head hung low in shame and embarrassment. It was just the first day of Sophomore year and everything was already falling apart. She couldn't believe it! It's like the universe hated her or something!

So, to add to her over dramatic reaction to the recent events, she decided to just fall to her knees and full on start to cry it all out. But before she could do this, strong arms wrapped around her and caught her just before she could fall to the ground.

And like all predictable cliché stories go, it was none other than — her drunk hero, knight in shining armor — the guy with the perfectly messy blonde hair, adorable eyes and cocky smile; Austin M. Moon. The cheesiness of the scene indeed.

"Stop crying." His voice commanded and she could already tell it was him. This caused her sobs to halt as she looked up, still refusing to look back and turn around, afraid that her eyes may deceive her.

"I—I..." She couldn't really speak and even if she could, she had no idea exactly what she wanted to say.

"I'm sorry." He said, a little less edgy and a little more apologetic. "I've never really seen a girl cry before and every time I was in that damned closet, all I ever did was make-out with a girl." He said letting her go as she finally decided to stay standing on her own. "It was instinct and it was — well, sort of — unintentional. I didn't think you'd take it the wrong way and run away." He spoke in shame as he nervously scratched the back of his neck, looking down at the ground. "I'm really, truly, sorry."

She didn't turn around just yet as she just stood there, her hands clasped tightly together as she nibbled at her bottom lip. She had no idea how to response or even what to think. She wanted to know he was genuine and she wanted to believe him but, no one ever told her how to tell the difference between the lies and the truth and, she was scared. She was scared, afraid and terrified that he was just lying and playing with her and she didn't want to accept the concept of that possible truth.

"I'm so super sorry!" His voice turned a little bit higher and a little bit more desperate as he balled his hand into a very tight fist. "I never liked apologizing but, please, I'm really sorry!"

He was serious about begging for her forgiveness and he wasn't gonna leave 'til this girl — whoever she may be — forgives him. He didn't know her at all — as familiar as she may seem — but, he couldn't stand and bare the fact that she's sad and crying because of him.

He didn't exactly know how big the wrong he has done was but, he was sure that right now — right at this moment — all wanted to do was wipe away those damned tears and make her smile. And it didn't matter if it all wasn't his fault because he was sure that the bitch of an ex-girlfriend — Tiffany Lauren Carson — he has wasn't gonna make things any better so, he'd apologize on her behalf too.

"And sorry for what Tiffany said. She didn't mean it." He said carefully as he took a little bit of a step forward, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder which gave Ally the shivers, running up and down through her spine. "I think you're really pretty."

He smiled 'coz he knew what he said was true, even if she may not believe him 'coz — let's face it — he's been known to be a flirt with every girl anyway.

"Thank you." She finally spoke as she breathed in deeply. "Thank you, stranger."

She decides to not call him by his name 'coz she's already assuming that he does not remember her at all. But, it didn't matter 'coz it still managed to make him grin a little. And with the joy of being forgiven, he turns her around, wanting to see if she's smiling.

Raising an eyebrow, he smirked as he saw Ally trying her best to hide that little blush that silently creeped up to her cheeks. But, for a few seconds, his smirk disappeared as he saw that she still did not smile. His slight frown was later replaced with a mischievous grin as an idea came to his mind. Although the last idea wasn't so bright or successful in any way at all, he was sure that this one would definitely bring a smile to this little girl's lips.

"Hey." He said, leaning down on her as she widened her eyes in confusion and shock, making both her eyebrows raise. "I really do mean it." He smiled at her, a more genuine smile than any he has given to anyone else. "You really are pretty." He leaned in even closer as he whispered into her ear. "Even when you cry."

Not being able to hold both her crimson blush and pleased smile back anymore, she broke into a huge grin as she tilted her head cutely, her cheeks glowing red with blush. This made Austin look away as he silently cursed himself for hurting this cute and innocent little girl.

_Little girl? Now I'm just being crazy! But, she is really cute..._

Raising her eyebrow, Ally tapped Austin lightly on the shoulder as she softened her grin into a warm smile, bringing him back to earth for a few seconds before he completely melted into her smile.

"I—you—erm, hi!" He stuttered before grinning at her, hiding the nervousness in his voice.

_What the hell Austin? You never get nervous! And you certainly do not stutter!_

"Hello." She says gently as she hands out her left hand for him to shake. "I'm Ally Dawson."

"Austin Moon." He said, taking her hand before he willingly shook it. "And I'm awesome!"

"That rhymes!" She laughs in a lighthearted manner as he just continued to grin at her.

"Sort of." He winks as she just rolled her eyes playfully.

Sighing, she smiled at him once again before speaking, saying, "Friends?"

Hearing this, his heart sank a little bit but rose back up as he realized this wouldn't be the last time he speaks to her. So, with a lighter heart as well, he says, "Friends."

"Good." She nodded in satisfaction before turning around to get back to class.

"Hey, wait!" He calls after her as he grabbed her by the hand for the nth time that day, making her turn around to face him. "Where you going?"

"Class?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him as she jerked her hand away from him before folding her arms.

"Oh!" He exclaims, before grinning sheepishly. "I got that too!"

"What class are you in?" She asks, turning her head slightly to the side as she squinted her eyes at him.

"Erm, 2A?" He smiles brightly as she nodded once again before grabbing his hand and leading him back to her classroom.

"Good." She says to him as he followed her in confusion but with no hesitation.

_I found just what I was looking for._

* * *

**-x-**

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**IMPORTANT!**

Heeey! I'm back :) It's been awhile, hasn't it? Well, actually, it's only been a week so, it's not that bad really XD I'm sure I didn't make you guys wait that long XD I'm really surprised to get so much reviews :o I expected like 10 at most but, guys, you really made me happy :') Thank you so much ;* Now, here's a few things, a) I usually update on Fridays because here in where I live, brand new episodes of A&A (Austin & Ally) come out every Friday & I update (edit + update) my chapters right after watching it 'coz it's just, watching the new episodes motivate me a lot XD I can't guarantee you that I will update every week but I promise to try for you guys, specially since you're all so awesome & nice with your reviews to me :') & b) Sorry if the last bit was a little rushed... I didn't exactly know how to end it well & it's just, I was running low on creative juices by the time I got to that part ¬.¬ But, worry not, I'm sure that the little kiss made up for it ;) Sorry for any typos, grammatical errors & stuff I made! My editing is really sloppy since my attention span is really low & I get distracted easily -.- &+ my arms are a bit sore since I just got my blood tested :/ So anyway, that's all I really wanna say? Forgive the clichéness of this chapter & more importantly, I'm quite proud of this chapter XD I'm also glad my Peter Pan writing style is finally phasing off but I'm sure it'll come back as soon as I start updating for it -.- Sorry for the extremely loooong rant. I tend to ramble on a lot XD Sorry, it's not anything to be grinning about ¬.¬ So erm, hope you enjoyed this chapter & please read & review! It would mean an awful lot to me :') & in favor of one of my reviewers, no drunk Austin this time XD R&R please XD


	3. Chapter Three – Her Hopeless Father

******Like a Playboy**

___Chapter Three – Her Hopeless Father_

* * *

******-x-**

* * *

******Summary: **He's always been some sort of a playboy & she's always been some sort of a goody-two-shoes. But it's okay 'coz it's her & it's him & somehow, they still fit to be the perfect two. Austin&Ally. Auslly. AU.

**Rating: **Rated T for strong language & drunk scenes :)

******Inspiration: **Well, it's a cliché idea but, I've wanted to put Austin into that playboy kind of character for awhile now but, I just really hadn't conjured up a good plot for a fic so, I didn't. But after a little incident down town with my friends, I finally got it! & well, here's what came out of it :P

******A/N:** This chapter is rather slow & a little bit sloppy near the end but I still hope you enjoy this ^^ I gotta say, it's pretty good once you get into the middle bits of it XD &+ it's pretty long XD The first half is inspired by an idea of mine which will later become a sub-plot for the whole story later on ;) Although, I wouldn't expect so much since there's a twist in it ;) Don't worry much about it for now but, I suggest you keep your eyes open just in case XD For the last bit, it's a little bit inspired by a chapter in a fic called 'Keep on Running Tori' for the Bori/Beri fandom in Victorious ^^ If you love Beck & Tori pairing, you should read the fic ^^ Anyway, enjoy this chapter XD

******Disclaimer: **Don't own Austin&Ally & I never will but one of these days, I'll meet Ross Lynch & Laura Marano in person :')

* * *

**-x-**

* * *

There was a banging on the door as Ally looked up from her Math homework to turn and check if her bedroom door was the victim of it. There was ever only one person violent enough that she knows to ever do that to her door and that would be—

"Allyster Marie Daniella Dawson! Open this door right now!" Trish's voice boomed behind the other side of the door as Ally dropped her pen and raised an eyebrow. "You have some explaining to do!"

"Trish..." Ally sighed as she picked up her pen before turning her focus back on her homework. "I can't. I've got homework to do."

"Oh!" Trish growled as she continually banged on the door. "Don't you dare use that homework excuse on me or I will literally karate kick this door open! And you know I'm serious!"

Sighing once again, Ally stood up as she trudged to her door, shaking her head. It's true; she knew rightly well that Trish was true to her words and if she says she's gonna do something, you better hell be prepared 'coz she means it.

"Fine." Ally grunted, opening the door to see her best friend, furiously glaring at her for some unknown reason.

"I heard something about you." Trish narrowed her eyes at Ally as she hurriedly came into Ally's room with stomping feet.

"What is it?" Ally asked curiously as she folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at Trish.

"That guy! That dude that flirted with you, you're now friends with him?" Trish practically screamed as she pointed an accusing finger at Ally. "And you didn't even tell me!"

"Wha—I—you!" Ally stuttered as she gawked at Trish, surprised at how fast the information had traveled. "Where the heck did you hear that from?"

"Oh. That ginger freak of a friend your boy has kept complaining and whining about it to me!" The feisty latina shook her head in frustration as she paced around Ally's room. "I mean seriously, he kept blabbing on and on about how his best friend Austin's got a new buddy and that he'll start ignoring him or something!" Trish yelled as Ally stood back, watching her best friend go on and rant. "And then when I asked him to shut it, he tells me I should be worried too since Austin's new friend is you and Austin'll be stealing you from me! I mean like, come on!"

"Trish..." Ally sighed as she tried her best not to giggle at her best friend's frustrated antics.

"And you!" Trish says, bringing her attention back to Ally, pointing an accusing finger at her once again. "Why didn't you tell me Mr. Drunk Playboy is now your friend? Don't you know how stupid that is?"

"I didn't plan it!" Ally defended herself as she raised her hands up. "And he wasn't that bad. You know, he's alright when he's not being drunk and all."

"Still! He was practically groping you!" Trish exclaimed as she grabbed Ally by her black floral dress' collar. "Are you crazy woman?"

"Well, I—" Ally tried to speak but Trish cut her off.

"And he probably doesn't even remember you! Let alone know that you're the one he was going all intimate with yesterday!" Trish yelled as she shook Ally by the collar, making the brunette feel a little bit dizzy.

_You have actually no idea..._

"Trish." Ally says softly as she grabbed her best friend's hand before bringing them down. "I can handle myself. I'll be fine."

"But, the thing is Ally, you don't know this guy..." Trish sighed as she sat down on Ally's bed which has also become hers during the course of their countless sleepovers. "I know what it's like to be played and, that Austin kid, he looks like the kind of guy who likes to play and I just don't want you to go through what I did."

Ally smiled down at her best friend as she sat beside her on the bed. Crossing her legs indian style, she leaned her head on Trish's shoulder and said, "I'll be fine Trish. We're just friends."

Frowning, Trish just shrugged as she looked down at Ally's red carpeted floor. "If you say so."

_Friends... That's all we'll have to be I guess..._

Silence filled the room as neither of the best friends spoke. Ally was busy thinking the whole Austin situation through in her head as Trish busied herself by looking at all the things that were sitting on Ally's special shelf. That shelf had everything Ally treasured; from the merit cards, report cards, trophies, her first song lyrics, a picture of her mom and a hat.

_Wait, what? A hat?_

Trish raised an eyebrow as she stood up, causing Ally to fall down onto the floor as her support had left. She landed onto it with a soft thud before she quickly sat up, glaring at the back of her best friend, yelling, "Heeeey!"

Trish ignored her as she continued her walk towards the shelf, examining the hat carefully, before turning back to look at Ally.

"Ally," Trish says softly as she pointed at the hat. "Why do you have a red baseball hat when you don't like wearing hats nor do you even like baseball?"

"Oh!" Ally exclaimed as she quickly got back up her feet. "That ol' thing?" She giggled as she ran over to Trish. "It's not mine!"

"Really?" Trish asked curiously as she tried to reach for it and touch it when Ally slapped her hand away. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Sorry but, don't touch my hat!" Ally grunted as she took the hat off the shelf before heading back towards her bed.

"But, you just told me there a second ago that it wasn't yours!" Trish exclaimed, rubbing the hand Ally had slapped to soothe the stinging pain in it.

"Well, it isn't — sort of — mine!" Ally sighed as she sat down on her bed once again. "It's from this boy back in kindergarten."

"Really?" Trish asked, slightly interested by this piece of information. "Well, come on and tell me about it!"

"Well..." Ally trailed off as she held the hat close to her chest. "Back in kindergarten, I was always bullied by this boy and his group of friends."

"Awwww!" Trish frowned sympathetically at her friend as she hugged her and patted her on the back. "You poor girl."

Giggling, Ally rolled her eyes as she rested her head on Trish's shoulder once again.

"And well, I always tried to not be affected with what they say and the mean things they did but, one day, they just went too far and I just couldn't help but burst out crying!" Ally sighed as she thought back over to what happened, hugging the hat even tighter against her chest. "So—" she continued on, "—I ran out and cried."

"Awk! Ally!" Trish grunted as she stood up, balling her hand up into a fist. "If I was there at that time, I would've punched those boys for making you cry!"

"There's no need Trish." Ally giggled slightly as she loosened her grip onto the hat. "You know why? 'Coz after I ran out, this other cute boy followed after me and he comforted me and hugged me and told me all the things them boys said weren't true!" She grinned widely as she put on the hat, pointing to herself as she continued on, saying, "And after he comforted me, he put this hat on me! And from then on, I called him Superman!"

"Superman?" Trish asked as she raised her eyebrow up in bewilderment. "Why would you call him that? That's like the cheesiest nickname you could ever give anybody!"

"Well, I didn't exactly like Knights in Shining Armors 'coz as a kid, they freaked me out a lot. And plus, Prince Charming was waaaaaay too overrated!" Ally huffed as she folded her arms. "And Superman's powers are cool and he's got my favorite color on!"

"So, you called him Superman based on his red tights and cape?" Trish exclaimed as she face-palmed herself at Ally's cliché antics. "You're so sad."

"Hey!" Ally whined, making Trish roll her eyes. "I like Superman, mind you! And plus, I actually think it suits him!"

"Whatever you say." Trish said sarcastically as she started walking towards Ally's door. "I gotta go now though. I just started a job at Ms. Betty's and I don't wanna go another hour over my break."

"Why?" Ally laughed as she walked towards the door as well, leading Trish out.

"Well, I'd like to keep this job since it's basically gonna pay for my shopping addiction." Trish grunted as she leaned her head back onto the door frame. "My parents said that now that I'm sixteen, I should earn the money I'm gonna waste. Can you believe that?"

"Hahahaha!" Ally grinned as she pushed Trish out the door. "Well, you better go then! And plus, I gotta get to my shift at the Sonic Boom as well."

"What about your homework?" Trish asked, stopping midway down the stairs as Ally went back up to close her bedroom door.

"I'll finish it later since you got me distracted." Ally giggled softly before taking her best friend's hand and dragging her out of the house.

_:::_

Sonic Boom wasn't as busy as it usually was so Ally had a bit of a spare time for herself. So, with the little time she has left, she decided to sit up at the counter and write new lyrics in her beloved book.

_She's easily changing her mind, easily wasting all her time__  
__She's easily falling so hard, easily letting down her guard_

It was a little short but, it will have to do for now. After all, she wasn't as inspired as she was before. Maybe, probably, it was because all she could think about was the memory of her so-called Superman. He was, in a way, her very first love.

Even with the fact that she can hardly remember what he looked like — let alone, remember his name — she could still clearly remember the event that took place. It was definitely a very significant memory to her.

Sighing, she put down her pen as she turned her precious book to a few pages back before she settled into one particular entry with uncompleted lyrics and mindless heart doodles.

_The stars he flew by shined so bright__  
__And I still think of him every night__  
__His smiling face stuck in my mind__  
__I'm sure he'll always be one-of-a-kind_

She wasn't finished but she hasn't been motivated enough to continue writing on. Well, except, maybe now. So, taking her pen once again, she started scribbling a new set of lyrics down.

But before she could even jot anything down into the unfilled page, she felt her breath hitch as soft murmuring of what seemed like her lyrics were heard over her shoulder and all she had to do was take a little glance to her left to already tell who it was.

"I'm sure he'll always be one-of-a-kind?" The familiar voice spoke in both amusement and confusion as he continued to stare at the page.

Gasping, Ally jumped down from the counter before turning around to point at the intruder. "YOU!"

"Hi!" The boy grinned as he jumped over the counter to get to her side, making the girl take a small step back.

"Austin!" Ally shouted as she slammed her book close before hiding it behind her. "What're you doing here?"

"Ally!" He exclaimed at the same volume she had shouted at. "I came to buy a new guitar pick!"

"Guitar pick?" She asked curiously, raising an eyebrow at him. "You play the guitar?"

"Of course!" He grinned once again, shrugging his shoulders. "And I must say, I'm pretty awesome at it!"

"Oh." Ally sighed as she wiped the bead of sweat that dripped down her forehead.

Still grinning, he shoved his hands into his pockets before walking towards her, cocking his head to the side in curiosity as he asked, "What was that you were writing?"

"What?" She gasped as she held onto her book even tighter. "I mean, you saw that?"

"Well, yeah." He smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "I was reading it out loud, remember?"

"Oh!" Ally exclaimed before mentally kicking herself. "Yeah, erm, you were!"

"Hahahahaha." He chuckled, as he took another step towards her. "You're really cute!"

"Erm, I—eh—erm—you..." Ally stuttered looking down on the ground as she heard him call her cute once again. She doesn't expect him to remember but, this isn't the first time he's called her cute. So, trying to regain self-confidence, she let out a shaky "Thanks!"

"No problem!" He smiled genuinely before completely walking towards her once again. He then tried to sneak his hand around her back, trying to catch grip of her book but she — realizing his true motives — turned around swiftly, walking as quick as she could, away from him.

"Don't touch my book!" She shouts at him as she gave him her best death glare. He just chuckled in response to her. She growled before sliding the book inside one of the slots underneath the counter. "Never touch my book."

Putting his hands up in defeat, he grinned before saying, "Okay!"

"Good." She nodded in satisfaction before walking back towards him and grabbing his hand, leading him out of the inside of the square-shaped counter. "Now, only employees are allowed in here and the guitar picks are over there."

"But we're friends!" He said while winking at her, making her roll her eyes playfully. "I should have some special friends' benefits or something."

"Okay, how 'bout this..." Ally trailed off as she pushed him towards the display of guitars where the box of assorted picks lay. "You buy a pick today and never come back to the store ever again!"

"Tsk tsk." He shook his head at her in mock disappointment. "Now that's just mean." He smirked mischievously at her as she just rolled her eyes once again. "And not to mention rude!"

For a second there, Ally saw Austin, not as the playful chap who's looking for the guitar pick he needed while annoying her but, as the drunk boy who was shamelessly flirting with her unknowingly last night. The thought made her shiver as she turned away from him, looking down at the floor as the events of that night replayed at the back of her mind. This caused her to suddenly feel very uncomfortable, making her grab a handful of her hair as she debated over to herself whether to chew or not to chew.

Austin saw this and became very aware of the sudden tension she has brought upon the room. Raising an eyebrow, he took a step forward as he gently touched her shoulder, making her flinch. He cocked his head to the side once again before deciding to speak.

"Ally, are you okay?" He asked her in a concerned voice as she just quickly nodded her head while shaking his hand off her shoulder.

"Erm, yeah." She said in an absent-minded manner as she walked off, away from him, back inside the counter. Typing out into the cash register, she looked at Austin blankly before asking, "Are you gonna buy a pick?"

Frowning, Austin shook his head before picking up a dark blue one, heading towards the counter after. Handing it to Ally for her to check it out, he eyed her suspiciously as he spoke, saying, "What's got you so weird all of a sudden?"

"Nothing." She muttered, not really looking up as she scanned the pick for the price.

Finally getting the information she needed, she took out a small box from under the counter before putting in it the pick, closing it after. She then handed the box to Austin as she took the receipt that had printed off from the cash register before she spoke and said, "Here you go! Thanks for shopping at the Sonic Boom!"

Austin raised an eyebrow at her once again as she started shooing and pushing him out of the store, towards the door. He didn't protest though as he just silently obeyed, not daring to question her actions.

Once he was completely out, Ally gave him a small and weak smile before closing the Sonic Boom doors and turning the sign from 'Open' to 'Close.' Sighing, Austin just shrugged to himself as he walked off, going back home.

_Well, that was weird._

_:::_

Taking a walk down the coast of the beach, Ally enjoyed the warm yet cool breeze that passed her by. The soft sound of the waves crashing against the sandy coast made her feel relaxed and comforted as a small smile played on her lips. The moon's light illuminated the sight of children playing and building castles in the sand as adults feasted along the little huts beside the seashore, having a bit of a drink together. She couldn't help but sigh in serenity as the calm atmosphere of it all made her feel so mellow. She always did love long beach walks at night.

But, she wasn't only down at the beach to bask in it's beauty and serene atmosphere; although she would much rather prefer doing that. She was off, heading towards the open bar near the beach — which she seemed all too familiar with — braving the thought of another drunk night for her father.

Her mind was racing with panic, her heart pounded in worry and her breathing was uneven as dire thoughts of her dad prancing around the coastline — with a big bottle of the strongest liquor known to man — entered her mind. Biting her bottom lip furiously, she quickened her pace as she made her way towards the open bar near the beach with strong determination.

Her dad was the best male she's ever known her whole life but, that didn't necessarily mean he was the best example there was. His musical abilities are incredible and he, admittedly, could easily win an award for being the best single parent there ever lived. But, like all the other parents out there, he wasn't perfect. He had flaws too and being an alcoholic was just one of them.

He was never always like that. Actually, before his wife died, he never once touched a single bottle of alcohol or liquor in any form. He had planned to be a pioneer for all his life but, the minute — no, wait, that's wrong; the second — he found out about Mary Allyson Lynch Dawson's death, he drank. He drank and he drank and he drank until he was drowning, not only his own sorrows in alcohol, but his own life as well. He wasted it all.

And because of this, Ally felt herself now obligated to be the one to act responsible. To be responsible for both her and her dad. To be the responsible one who picks up her dad when he was down, the one who's there to man the store when he was out, and of course, be the one to look after him in his drunk state.

It wasn't a bad job and he didn't abuse her at all when he was drunk but, it was just the fact that she was so sick and tired of seeing him talk with slurred words and hobble off around as she walked him home. She didn't like seeing him like that and frankly, she didn't like seeing all the other men he drank with act like so too. But, she had to endure it; for the sake of her and — most importantly — her dad.

So, shoving away the fear that always manages to creep up on her every last minute of every time she does this routine, she puts on a brave face with scrunched up eyebrows and pursed lips as she got closer and closer to the bar.

She stopped as soon as she reached the bar, scanning the place around for any sign of her dad's almost-bald head. She squinted her eyes as she caught sight of him, seemingly even drunker than he has ever been, with a new group of men who she did not recognize at all.

_What the heck is my dad doing there and who the heck are those?_

Her fear was growing and her heartbeat raced a million times faster as the sight before her caused her to feel nauseous. She felt herself getting hotter as she gripped a nearby chair to stop herself from losing her balance.

She couldn't move. She was frozen on the spot as the fear held her back and the only thing she could do was watch from afar as her father laughed out loud like a maniac with those unfamiliar drunkards. She watched in horror as he took another big chug at the glass of beer before him.

Looking away a bit as she tried her best to compose herself again, she closed her eyes, trying to picture a less repulsive scene than the one in front of her.

And all of a sudden, a mesh of blonde hair and a cocky grin flashed through her mind, giving her a little bit more courage than before. Somehow, in a weird way, that Austin boy she met yesterday and befriended today gave her a little more strength and confidence. She wasn't sure why this was but, she didn't dwell on it too much for she's already started marching over towards the corner of the bar in which her dad was at.

_Here goes nothing!_

"Dad!" Ally called out to her father as she finally reached him. "You gotta go home now."

"Hey!" Her dad — Alex Lester Dawson — gave her a toothy grin as he offered her his big glass of beer. "It's my daughter Ally!"

"Dad..." Ally sighed as she took the beer off him before setting it down on the table beside him. She then gently held his wrist as she tugged at him, trying to get him to stand up. "Let's go dad."

"You should just leave him here little girl." One of the men beside Lester chuckled drunkenly at her as he took a sip of beer from his own glass. "Let your dad enjoy himself."

"I'm sorry sir..." Ally tried to say as calmly as she could, trying to still sound polite even, with the raging fear and impatience bubbling up inside her. "But, I really have to take my dad home now."

"What a kill joy." Another man huffed as he looked to the side, rolling his dark blue eyes. "What are you, his mother?"

"Now lads, let's settle down." Lester said, chuckling a bit as he jerked his hand away from Ally before continuing to speak. "She is my daughter and she's just looking out for me."

"She should just leave you alone." The guy with dark blue eyes snorted. "This is our night Lester so tell your little girl to go home and get lost."

Lester shook his head in disapproval as he turned to Ally with a frown, saying, "You gotta go Ally. He's right."

"Dad, I'm not leaving without you." Ally said stubbornly as she grabbed the empty chair beside Lester before sitting down. "In fact, I'm staying here 'til you get up and go home with me."

There was a loud bang heard across the whole bar as people looked up to see the angry dark haired man who sat across Lester. He had an angry look in his light green eyes that brought the fear — that Ally tried so hard to lock up earlier on — back to her. She looked at him with wide eyes as he threw his glass down onto the ground before grabbing Lester by the collar and pushing him into the wall, causing loud gasps to be heard all across the bar.

"Would you fucking tell your meddling daughter to shut the fuck up and leave?" He shouted at Lester's face as Lester did nothing but just look down.

"Sorry Rich but, she's being persistent." Lester whispered as he tried his best not to wince at the fact that the guy was almost close to choking him. "And she's my daughter."

"Sir, please!" Ally pleaded as she ran up to the two men, trying to pry the bigger and angry man off her father.

"Ally, don't!" Lester shouted at her, worry clearly evident in his tone.

Within a matter of seconds, the guy — who Ally remembers has been called 'Rich' by her dad — had thrown Lester off to the side before marching over to Ally with a deadly glare. Ally's brown eyes widened at the sudden action as she heard her dad's choking sounds mixed with his pleas of 'Don't touch my daughter' and 'Ally get out of here' behind the big bulky guy.

Shock and fear painted Ally's face as Rich leaned down even closer to her, his face so close to hers as his breath slowly blew down on her nose. His right hand was down at the side of his hips, ready to just grab her by her thin neck and choke her for destroying his mood. But, the annoying calls of Lester from behind stopped him from doing so. He did have a little mercy after all.

But he wasn't gonna let Ally go that easily and neither was he gonna let Lester escape as well. His other drunk friends seemed to have been familiar with the situation at hand, enough to keep their mouths shut and not say or do anything other than just watch the scene unfold.

Lester was still down on the ground, rubbing his neck which had burned due to the tight friction of his collar against it when Rich had held him up. He was still choking out his pleas to the bulkier man to spare his daughter but he could tell that Rich was not listening to him one bit and that even if he was, he was sure it was only irritating him more. But, drunk as he may be, Ally was still his life and he'd rather Rich kill him off than touch his precious daughter in any way.

The scene at hand had gained quite a few attention from everyone else at the bar and though some may pity the father and daughter that had become the drunk man's target of abuse, no one dared to try and interfere. Well, no one except for a blonde-haired boy with captivating brown innocent eyes that was all too familiar to Ally.

He was sitting at the back and he's been watching the whole thing this whole time, sipping from his own bottle of Breezer. He wasn't drunk at all; just a little tipsy. But he was still aware of his surroundings and he still had better control of his whole mind and body than the alcohol.

So, unable to take anymore of the girl's suffering, he stood up from his seat and made his way down to the scene of the crime, trying his best not to jump on this 'Rich' guy and just beat him senseless for even daring to go that close to Ally.

"Hey." He shouted over to the group as they all turned to look at him; Ally's eyes wide with shock as Lester's filled itself with confusion. Rich's eyes, though, was nothing but pure drunken anger and annoyance.

"What?" Rich snapped at Austin, causing Ally to wince at the tone.

"I don't think it's fair to pick on a girl who's only concerned about her father's well-being." The blonde-haired boy tried to sound calm as he shoved his hands into his jeans' pockets. He wasn't planning on losing his cool any time soon.

"Like fuck do I care what you think!" Rich growled as he turned his attention back to Ally who he found has now left her previous spot to scramble over to her dad who was coughing out a little blood.

"Dad!" Ally exclaimed as she patted her dad's back, trying to calm his coughing fit down.

"Pft." Rich rolled his eyes as he strolled over to the father and daughter, a bottle of beer in hand. "What's got you so weak Lester? The fact that I choked you or the fact that you're just not as good with alcohol as you used to be?"

Drinking from his bottle of beer, he stood high before Ally as he stoop down to try and get a hold of the girl's wrist. But, before he could even lay a single finger on her, his hand had been slapped away by the blonde boy whose temper was finally running thin.

Ally stared at the boy before her — acting as her hero once again — and she couldn't help but smile a little as she watched his back, protecting her and her dad from the assault of this drunk bastard.

_Austin..._

"Mommy never told you never to hit a girl?" Austin asked in a mocking tone through his gritted teeth.

"Actually, no." Rich smirked as he grab Austin by the shirt, pulling him closer to him as he balled his hand into a fist, ready to punch Austin in the face.

"Shame then." Austin muttered, avoiding the attack as he ducked and slapped Rich's hand off of his shirt, elbowing the older man on the stomach.

This caused Rich to groan in pain as he clutched his aching stomach with both his hands. This gave Austin the chance to grab a couple of empty bottles of beer before hitting Rich on the head with them, causing the bottles to break into pieces as it all collided with Rich's hard head. Blood had been spilled out of Rich's head as he screamed in pain.

Satisfied that Rich won't be able to move from his position for a little while, Austin nodded before grabbing Ally's hand — making her stand up — as he shouldered Lester's arms and dragged the both of them out of the bar.

As all three of them ran out, they could hear Rich screaming in anger and pain as all his other drunk friends tried to calm him down while other people inside the bar decided it was time for them to leave as well.

And as Ally took a little glance at Austin, she wondered to herself how lucky she had been this night and the day before — making her think to herself that maybe, fate just likes her a little too much these days.

_:::_

She left her dad sleeping on their couch as she stood outside her room's balcony with Austin. They were both so silent that they could clearly hear the loud snoring of her father downstairs and the soft blowing of the wind.

He didn't wanna question her, afraid that he might come off as nosy but, he did need a little bit of an explanation. She wanted to speak but, she was still a little shamed that he — Austin Moon of all people — has seen her father in that hopeless and drunken state.

The air was chilly and the awkward atmosphere they had placed upon themselves made them both grow stiff. She was looking out up at the stars, somehow wondering why his eyes weren't as bright as them tonight as he just stared at the ground, not able to cope with the tension surrounding them.

And all of a sudden, she broke the glazing wall of ice that had started to build around them as she softly started to speak.

"He's not always like that." She tries to say calmly but she knew it — and he definitely knew it — that her voice sounded more broken than ever. "He's the best damn thing in my life and he's the only family I've got left."

He nodded in understanding — not that she'd see anyway since she still stood by the bars of the balcony with her back facing him — as he lifted his gaze from the ground to take a glance at her moonlight-illuminated silhouette.

"He just hasn't been himself that much ever since my mom died." She didn't even try to hide the fact that she was now crying. It's not anything new — crying in front of Austin Moon. "Alcohol's the only way he could escape from the pain."

He didn't exactly know what to say since he was too scared that what he might say could either end up coming off as too sympathetic or lacking in empathy. He's sure that he doesn't really know what she's going through right now but, all he wanted to do was make her feel better 'coz somehow, he knows that if he lets her sleep with that crying face on tonight, he'll never be able to sleep well himself.

_Not that I've ever been able to sleep that well before anyway._

"I'm sorry you got caught in that." She let out in a raspy voice as she dared to turn and look at him, his brown eyes clashing with her ones for a moment. "But, thank you anyway."

He stood up, walking over to her as he wrapped his strong arms around her small waist and thin frame. He smelled her icy winter scent mixed with a little bit of vanilla — the complete opposite of the blending chocolate and summer breeze fragrance he had always carried — and then, he spoke.

"Shhhhh." He hushed her, trying to calm down her crying as she started to hiccup and sob wildly against his chest. "It's okay."

That was a lie and he knew it. But, at times like these, what else can you really say?

She nodded her head against his chest 'coz she knew he was just trying to comfort her. She could tell he wasn't used to seeing girls cry since, the first time she cried, he kissed her — thinking it would make her feel all better. So, taking that into account, she just let him do whatever it was that Austin Moon does to comfort a crying girl.

If Ally wasn't crying right now, he'd probably laugh at how cliché the scene of the two of them was. But, she was so, he didn't. All he could do right now was stroke her hair as he patted her back, whispering promises of everything to be alright into her ear. She was only partly listening but she did appreciate the gesture.

"I never knew you were so cuddly." She muttered into his chest and she was sure he didn't hear it but, he did.

He let out a little laugh as she pulled herself back from him, smiling. Her worries had flew off somewhere else as she saw the radiant warmth his eyes gave off. And she knew, right there and then, that if there was ever a person that could make her feel all better without even trying, he'd be the one.

"It's no problem." He said, smiling a cocky little smile as he stared down at her teary eyes that glistened under the moonlight. "And, I try my best."

She playfully rolled her eyes at his cockiness, making him crack a little grin. Shaking her head, she pushed him aside before grabbing a hold of his wrist as she dragged him in towards her room, intending to shoo him off home. But, jerking his hand away from her, he stopped and jumped onto her bed with a playful grin as he closed his eyes in contentment.

"Austin..." She sighs as she stalked off over to him, pulling him by the legs, making him fall off the bed, landing on the ground with a soft thud. She giggled as he just playfully glared at her.

"Ally..." He whined as she rolled her eyes in a joking manner before pulling him back up, standing. She grinned before grabbing a hold of his wrist once again.

"You gotta go now." She said, dragging him out to her door as he just shrugged casually, pulling her away from the door, back to the balcony.

"I know but..." He trailed off, abruptly stopping dead on his tracks — making her stop as well — before leaning in a little closer to her as they both gazed up into each others eyes. He smiled warmly before kissing her on her forehead with those soft lips of his that had earlier on stolen her first kiss. He then whispered, "I'll miss you."

And with a wide grin, he pulled back from her before running out back to the balcony and jumping out to a tree branch, disappearing into the night's darkness. The sudden action caused Ally to widen her eyes in shock as she froze on the spot, wondering to herself how the hell did he do that.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" She heard him call out, startling her, before she ran back to the bars of the balcony to look out and see where he had gone.

But before she could even take a small glance at where he had been standing at, he had already ran off to God-knows-where, leaving Ally all to herself, wondering about what the hell had just happened.

And so, with a shock-filled face and a small contented smile, she breathed in deeply the night's musky air as his breezy summer scent — mixed with a little hint of chocolate — still lingered through the air around her. Sighing happily, she went back inside her room, thinking to herself how wonderful her drunken hero had been to her this day.

So with all that said and done, she also wondered to herself if, like this morning at school, he won't remember her at all. She really hoped that wasn't the case at all.

* * *

**-x-**

* * *

**IMPORTANT!**

Hello guys ^^ Guess who's back? :B Me XD Well, erm, sorry if the edit is a little sloppy... I just hurriedly read through it since I was dying to eat the Chinese take-away my mom has bought XD I'll try & fix whatever errors I've had left out later XD As you know, I beta-read my own fics so, it's a little hard XD Anyhow, I'm glad to have gotten 10reviews for the last chapter :') It means so much to me guys :') I'll be honest & say I did expect a little more since the first one received such a lot of reviews & stuff... But, I'm happy nonetheless XD Specially since one of my favorite Auslly writers (erherm, KairiR5) reviewed XD I'm so happy XD Hehehe, anyway, forgive me for the clichéness of this chapter & more importantly the slow going of the plot... I'm thinking this should be like 10 – 15 chapters? Anyway (wow, I've said that a lot) I wanna ask you guys a favor XD I'll make deal; if you guys reach me my 45th review for this fic, I'll update on Wednesday ;) I'm not likely to bribe but, since I'm gonna be bombarded with test revision for awhile, I might as well ask for a little more reviews for motivation XD Sorry but, if you wanna wait 'til all my tests are over in 3weeks then that should be cool :P But I do hope you guys review & I promise to make this story a little more better, exciting & less cliché (if you want). I know things are moving a little too fast right now between them & that Austin's playboy side hasn't really been shown much but, at the next chapter, that all will change & I'll take it slow from there & gradually build up their relationship XD Oh, & I just wanna say, I know some of the drunk scenes are a little disturbing & sorry about that but, it just weirdly has a little bit connection to the plot (well, sub-plot really) so, forgive me for that. Also, the whole Superman thing, I agree with Trish! Superman is cliché & waaaay too overrated (SPIDERMAN FTW!) but, there's a bit of a twist in that little memory of Ally XD I wonder if you guys can get it? ;) Here's a hint, go back to the first chapter XD Hahahaha, anyway, enough of my rants! Sorry for rambling on but, yeah... I promise to try & lessen it a bit next time (no guarantees though) but, hey, you can always skip it XD Ironically, it may be called 'IMPORTANT!' but, really, it isn't. It's just me venting some sugar out XD Anyway... I hope you enjoyed that chapter & Imma go eat my Chinese now as I await for your feedbacks XD Hahahaha, if there are any anyway :) Erm, read & review please? I'd greatly appreciate it ;* Oh, btw, got results for my blood test & they are not good. I've apparently got minor anemia :| Daaaamn. Anyway, toodles guys ;* See ya next update? :) & again, read & review, R&R & sorry for the extremely long rant XD


	4. Chapter Four – Her Beach Day

**Like a Playboy**

_Chapter Four – Her Beach Day_

* * *

**-x-**

* * *

**Summary: **He's always been some sort of a playboy & she's always been some sort of a goody-two-shoes. But it's okay 'coz it's her & it's him & somehow, they still fit to be the perfect two. Austin&Ally. Auslly. AU.

**Rating: **Rated T for strong language & drunk scenes :)

**Inspiration: **Well, it's a cliché idea but, I've wanted to put Austin into that playboy kind of character for awhile now but, I just really hadn't conjured up a good plot for a fic so, I didn't. But after a little incident down town with my friends, I finally got it! & well, here's what came out of it :P

**A/N: **A few things you need to know about this chapter: a) There's a lot of cursing and more drunkness to come &+ drunk Austin comes back, this time with a little bit more edge. So, be warned. & b) It was mainly inspired by the songs 'Kids in Love' by Mayday Parade, 'Blame it on September' by Allstar Weekend, 'Starship' by Nicki Minaj, 'Heard it on the Radio' by Austin Moon & 'Baby it's You' by R5 ^^ Also, the fact that it's been so warm these days here in where I live (which is rare) so, the sun (& the coming summer season) also helped inspire me a lot XD & I know I said I'll take things slow between them & I can promise you, this will be the major breaking point of their fast paced relationship :o Enjoy ^^ & btw, the layout for this chapter may be a little bit complicated so, please just bare with me ^^ Thank you ;*

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Austin&Ally & I never will but one of these days, I'll meet Ross Lynch & Laura Marano in person :')

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**-x-**

* * *

The day was scorching hot as the sun blazed down onto the grounds of Miami High. Students all walked around the school's campus, sweating like crazy while others sat by the grass, enjoying the little breeze that passes them by.

Ally trudged through her school's door, her brown shorts and loose netted top not doing enough to help her keep cool. The heels of her brown and white gladiators clicked against the school's hallway floor, blending in with the loud chattering of her fellow schoolmates. Her hair was up in a very loose bun as her eyes took short glances from her left to her right, trying to catch sight of a certain blonde-haired boy. Her brown leather backpack casually swung behind her as she kept her special book close to her chest.

Finally reaching her locker, she sighed deeply, not able to find the boy she's been dying to talk to since last night. Frowning, she opened her locker as she grabbed the books she needed in them, before slamming it close in a huffy manner.

She tried her best to try and ignore the loud noises her schoolmates were making as she just rolled her eyes, silently passing through the school hallway to get to her class. But, along the way, sounds soft moaning and giggling stood out from all the other loud uproars surrounding her. Curious, she took a short glance to her right, only to see Austin in his sleeveless blue shirt — oh my, his biceps were, not so obviously, big — and green and blue plaid shorts, sucking faces with some thin blonde girl with pink streaks on her hair.

Puffing her cheeks, she rolled her eyes as she continued to make her way down to her homeroom class, her good mood completely ruined as the sight of them two made her feel a little spark of anger. So, with stomping feet, she walked away from the scene, drowning in the crowd of her other schoolmates.

Being too preoccupied with her inner tantrum, Ally didn't pay much attention as to where she was going. So, a few steps before she could make a turn down at the corner of the hallway, she bumped into someone — her forehead colliding with the person's rock-hard chest.

Taking a step back from the impact — with closed eyes — she put her hand up to the top of her forehead, groaning as she rubbed the sore spot of it. Poking one eye open, she gasped to herself as she saw the boy that stood before her.

Kind brown eyes that looked down on her with concern, soft-looking brown hair that seemed to flop just the right way; standing tall at the height of six feet two was none other than Dallas Jay Centineo — the boy dubbed by the school as 'Mr. Nice Guy'.

The sight of the boy in front of her stole the breath from her lips as her heart started to beat faster. Butterflies fluttered uncontrollably inside her stomach while her cheeks glowed crimson red with blush. She felt hot; her palms were sweating as her forehead's temperature feverishly grew.

Ally wondered to herself whether to feel lucky that she had been granted the honor of being in such close proximity to the guy all girls went head-over-heels crazy in love with, or feel guilty for bumping into him, probably committing a social crime that she'd be punished for later on.

She settled for the latter option, bowing her head in shame and embarrassment as she bombarded him with her apologies, consisting of the phrases 'I'm so sorry' and 'I didn't mean to' and 'Please forgive me'. He raised an amused eyebrow at her before letting out a hearty laugh; his voice ringing softly through the air.

Hearing the unexpected response, Ally looked up to take a glance at him, seeing him chuckling softly with a little bit of amusement flickering through his gleaming brown eyes.

"I'm sorry." He said, still chuckling as he ran his hand through his hair, making Ally's heart skip a beat. "I really shouldn't have laughed."

His charming smile was contagious and the glow in his eyes was very pretty to look at. His hair was a little bit messy — due to the fact that he had just ran his hand through it — but it still somehow flopped the perfect way as a small blush crept up his cheeks.

_My Gosh, he is so hot!_

Ally got lost staring up at him as her heart rate went faster. He smiled a little as he saw her blank and dreamy gaze before speaking up once again.

"And you really shouldn't apologize." He said, pulling Ally out of her daze. She opened her mouth to speak but he beat her to it, saying, "I should have looked where I was going."

"No!" Ally exclaimed as she took a small step forward. "I was just so lost in my thoughts and I didn't notice you coming so I bumped into you and it's all my fault and I'm really sorry 'coz I—"

He cut her off by suddenly cupping his hand around her chin, gently lifting it up as she instantly gazed onto those brown eyes of his. He smiled that contagious and charming smile he has as he leaned down a bit, before muttering into her ear, "It's okay."

Her breath got caught in her throat as she felt him whisper into her sensitive ear, sending electric shocks up and down her spine, making her shiver a bit. Her heartbeat went high on overdrive as her face went completely red and before she knew it, she was smiling like a dope, staring into his eyes.

He saw her expression and instantly grinned before pulling away and taking a step back. He then saluted at her with his right index and middle finger as he softly said, "See you later."

The phrase snapped her out of her daze as she tried to return his smile, ending up as a nervous and sheepish grin. He laughed at her cute awkwardness, making her blush even more — if possible — as she looked down at the ground, feeling all shy and insecure.

"See ya." She softly mutters, feeling a little bit tongue tied and speechless being around him.

He just nodded his head in response as he turned to walk pass her, probably away to go to his homeroom class. Turning around, she watched his back move further away from her, her nerves finally calming down. She sighed a little in relief.

"He's such a dream, isn't he?" A voice spoke from behind Ally as the owner's ragged breath breathed down onto her neck.

The sudden action caused her to jump up slightly as she felt a soft tingling sensation run through her whole body. She turned around to look and see who it had been that caused it, only to feel even more surprised than she already was.

There, Austin stood with his eyes staring down at her in lividity as he bit at his bottom lip — she must be rubbing off on him — while folding his arms against his chest. His eyebrow was raised up in both confusion and amusement as he tapped his left foot against the floor in an enraged manner.

She didn't know why he was acting like this and the look he was giving her scared her a bit. Her hand was itching to grab a handful of her hair for her to chew but she tried to ignore the temptation as she breathed out heavily, counting from one to ten inside her head.

"Hi." She says shyly, feeling a little intimidated as she ignored his previous question.

His eyes softened a bit as he saw the look of shock and slight fear written across her innocent brown eyes. He sighed deeply, closing his eyes while he shook his head before grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her with him towards wherever.

"Let's go." He muttered softly, taking her by surprise once again. "Forget I said that."

She silently obeyed, letting him drag her off to who-knows-where. His hold on her wrist was tight and warm and she could feel her heartbeat go off faster than a rocketship while her breathing went ragged. Her cheeks felt a little hot as she wondered to herself what was the cause of Austin's sudden enigmatic behavior.

But right now, she guesses she could let it go. After all, what is Austin Moon without a little bit of a mystery anyway?

_It's his mysterious personality that makes him so intriguing, making me want to get to know him better. And I know, somehow, I will._

_:::_

_He's got those pretty eyes, his charming smiles  
The way he makes everything feel all okay  
His perfect hair, and it's how he cares  
The way I just don't know what to say_

Ally stared down at her book, extremely satisfied by the Dallas-inspired lyrics she had come up with. She smiled to herself as she thought of her short encounter with the brown-eyed brunette boy, making her cheeks tinge with a little bit of pink.

She wrote again, inspiration continually flowing through her mind.

_The way I stopped, the way I stared  
It's how I feel when he's so close  
The way I blush, he's just my crush  
But it's like he's here and my breathing slows_

She stopped writing for a moment, looking around her classroom, the sun brightly shining through the double-glazed windows. Her eyes scanned the area, landing on the blonde-haired boy who sat at the very back of the classroom, sleeping the whole day away. She rolled her eyes at the sight of him, sighing as she turned back around to her book, continuing on to write down the rest of the lyrics.

_So let the sparks fly, let's not say goodbye  
Like the way we're so meant-to-be  
We're the perfect two, it's me and it's you  
Like the love that's so young, wild and free_

The class started to get loud, disrupting Ally's train of creative thoughts. Her eyes shot up to see the teacher had gone and the class was left to themselves, making her classmates go wild with a bit of gossiping and throwing of papers.

One boy stood up — tall with black hair and forest green eyes — and Ally recognized him as one of Austin's friends from that drunk night he had. He ran up to the front of the classroom, standing right in front of Ally as he threw a foamy red dice across to the other side of the room — Ally's brown eyes following the direction the dice was headed for. She then saw Austin look up from his nap before he effortlessly put his hand up to catch the dice. She almost smirked at how good he was.

He threw the dice to the other corner, another boy with brown hair and blue eyes catching it. He grinned wide before throwing it over to the black-haired boy again.

"Come on man! Throw it further!" The black-haired boy dared as he grinned cheekily at the brown-haired boy. "You're not on the football team just for that girlie throw, are ya?"

Ally rolled her brown eyes as she shook her head, returning her focus back to her book. She tried to conjure up enough creative juices in her so that she could finish at least the chorus of her new song.

_'Coz if you know how I feel for you, you'll feel like how I do  
And we'll be happy together, living happily-ever-after  
Not like Romeo and Juliet, it's like how Sonny and Cher felt  
Baby, we should be like a fairytale_

Finally finishing off the chorus of her new song, Ally smiled in satisfaction as she happily closed her book. She looked up once again to see that the black-haired boy had now gone and standing right in front her was Austin Moon himself, tossing the red dice up in the air and catching it before tossing it back up once again.

Her eyes stared him up and down as her thoughts filled itself with his behavior earlier on. He wasn't as bad as he was this morning but, his eyes still hadn't gained back that spark it seemed to always have every time she saw him. She wondered to herself if it was any of her fault. After all, he did seem a little angry when he had dragged her off to class.

She shook her head, ridding herself of those thoughts as she scolded herself. She tried to convince herself that she really shouldn't worry much about him since he was only Austin Moon and she wasn't even sure how 'friendly' they're really supposed to be. But, she did owe him — saving her from Darren, that drunk Rich guy and all.

"Aus—" She tried to call out to him but something had suddenly hit her on the back of her head, making her drop her head down from the sudden impact.

Austin looked down at her, his eyebrows raised in amusement and a little bit of concern as he rolled his innocent brown eyes.

"Dick." He muttered, bending down to pick-up the blue dice that had been thrown and fallen to the ground before whispering into Ally's ear, saying, "Sorry about that."

"Damn Moon." The black haired boy — seeming to be the one responsible for throwing the dice that hit Ally — smirked as he leaned against the wall. "You got another target on lock?"

Ally bit her lip, understanding exactly what the boy had been implying. She couldn't help but be a little bit pissed at the boy for, he was not only insulting her, but also insulting Austin as well. Although, she really shouldn't feel that bad for Austin since he probably is playboy — kissing her and Tiffany yesterday and then that girl down at the hallway today proved that to be true.

"Pft. Zachary, you know me better than that." Austin sighed as he threw the red dice back to the brown haired boy. "I never go for girls like her."

Ally bit at her lip even harder, causing it to bleed a little, her tongue feeling the metallic taste of her own blood.

"Wouldn't be bad to have a bit of a change." The black-haired boy — Zachary must be his name — chuckled as he awaited for Austin to throw the blue dice back to him. "And please Austin. I hate that name."

"I know." Austin grinned a bit but, his eyes — Ally notices — still didn't gleam the way they normally would. "That's why I called you it."

"He did change his targets though." The brown-haired boy spoke up, his eyes locked down on Ally who had been silently listening to the conversation going on as she opened her book, pretending to be occupied with writing down something in it.

"What do you mean?" Austin asked the brown-haired boy as he started tossing the blue dice around while taking a look at his friend.

"Well, since you broke up with Tiffany, you moved on to Kelly who's your typical goth-slut." The brown-haired boy chuckled as the 'Zachary' boy nodded his head in agreement. "Right Zach?"

"I know!" Zach — it seemed to possibly be his nickname — exclaimed as he laughed out loud. "What's up with that dude?"

"She's hot." Austin muttered as he threw the blue dice over to the brown-haired boy. "And thanks a lot for that, Maximillion."

"It's Max, Austin." The brown-haired boy — Max is his name, he says — grinned cheekily at Austin. "Get it right."

"Whatever." Austin grunted as he flicked his hair, a little bit of sweat dripping flying off from it.

Ally sat frozen on her seat, her right hand the only thing moving as she scribbled random things down on a scrapped page of her book. She heard everything and she knew that she shouldn't feel so shit 'coz they were only suppose to be friends anyway. But, she just couldn't help the bubbling rage that built up inside of her — under the pit of her stomach. It wasn't fair how he could easily make her feel so shit.

_I really should stop cursing! I've been breaking so many morals ever since I met him! And it's only been less than three days!_

Her grip on her pen went tight as tears forced to spill out of her but, she held them back. He's seen her cry once already and she wasn't about to let him see her cry again. And plus, she didn't wanna draw any attention from her classmates to herself anyway.

_Why is this affecting me so much? We're just...friends!  
__  
_The words sounded bitter — even inside her mind — as she dared to look up to take a peak at what Austin had been up to now. To her surprise, he was sitting indian style down on the ground, rolling the red dice — that he had played with earlier on — around on the floor. He looked a little downcast as his lips formed a little pout and his eyes shining in so much more innocence.

And all of a sudden, Ally's anger dissipated. The look of him right there on the floor made her smile a little at his childish manner. Her eyes went from angrily glaring at the floor to gazing down at him in admiration. The sight of him was just so damn adorable!

_Awwww! He's like a lost puppy!_

She gushed inwardly to herself as she giggled, feeling a little foolish for almost going gaga over the sight of him.

_It's a little bit worth it though._

She shook her head, tearing her gaze away from him to look up at the clouds.

She wondered about Austin a lot. She wondered why he was so drunk two nights ago, she wondered why his eyes didn't shine as bright as she first saw them, she wondered why he was such a playboy for such an innocent guy. And, most of all, she wondered why he would even be so willing to befriend her.

Getting so lost in her thoughts of Austin, she didn't realize that the school bell had already rung, indicating that the class had been dismissed.

She looked up to see all her classmates already packing away and getting out of the classroom. Sighing deeply to herself, she grabbed her brown leather bag as she stood up; the last thing she heard as she walked out of the classroom being:

"See you later at the beach, Moon."

_:::_

She kinda thinks it was all fate's fault, despite the fact she knew that really wasn't the case. She also kinda thinks it's just a coincidence but, even she knows that was a very bad and obvious excuse. She likes to pin the blame on things like these to destiny and fate or luck and sometimes, even on the stars. Unfortunately, she can only go so far in denial.

Ally never really thought of herself as a beach person. It's honestly quite ironic since she lived in Miami; in a town where the sandy coasts of the beach wasn't that far a walk. And even though she loved the serene nights of her long walks down at the beach — just to pick up her drunk father — she never really was that fond of the beach when the sun was still out. Least to say, the highlights of her times down there would've been walking home, dragging her dad — drunkenly singing 'I Will Survive' or 'Eye of the Tiger' — along with her.

She could've said 'No'. She could've honestly just shook her head and refused. She could've just did what she did best; rant out about how the sand sticks everywhere or how some men don't really understand that you need to be a woman to wear a thong or how it was too crowded or how hot the sun was and that she burnt way too easily. She could've done all those things but, on one quick impulse, she said 'Yes'. She nodded her head eagerly and said 'Yes'. She said no complaints and just fucking said 'Yes'! And that's when she knew, she's totally screwed.

It took Trish a bit by surprise but the feisty latina best friend of hers didn't even dare to question for, it was truly a rare day when Ally Dawson — of all people — becomes willing to go the beach. But, it took Ally in even more surprise since she basically just said 'Yes' in a heartbeat.

So now here she is, lying down on a picnic cloth with her yellow umbrella above her head — protecting her from the sun — as she watched Trish go on to swim and chat with her other girlfriends. She didn't even know why she agreed to it in the first place. But, one thing's for sure, the minute Trish asked about the beach, the only thing that ran through her mind was the last thing she heard when she walked out of her classroom earlier on.

_He's gonna be here..._

She didn't mean to come off as a stalker or anything — although, she probably seems to be now that she thinks about it — but, she just wanted to see him out. She wanted to see Austin Moon. That's right. She wanted to see her drunken hero.

_And somehow, that nickname's growing on me..._

She smiled to herself as she thought of seeing all his different sides; his heroic actions, his drunken state, his playboy antics, his caring side and his playful personality. But, she has yet to see him as Austin Moon with his friends.

That drunk night he had didn't really count since she didn't really pay that much attention to him and his friends. And plus, he had his arm 'round that Tiffany girl so, who says he was even paying that much heed to his own friends anyway?

_He was probably making-out with her the whole time!_

She rolled her eyes as she cringed her nose at the thought of kissing someone whose breath was probably oozing the scent of strong alcohol. She almost gagged at the thought but, something caught her eye. It was him, the boy she's been looking for since she came to the beach thirty minutes or so ago.

There he was, topless with only his blue swimming trunks on. His hair was dripping wet with the salty sea water as he drank from his bottle of Breezer — he likes that alcoholic drink a lot, it would seem. His feet and toes were covered with sand as his well-toned chest glistened with the small droplets of water under the sun. His skin was pale and white but his cheeks puffed red, probably due to the heat. He stood high in all his 6 feet glory and all Ally could do was gawk at how hot had he looked right there and then.

_Honestly, hot isn't even right enough! He's like some Greek God or something!_*

"Daaaaamn that sexy beast." Ally heard someone say behind her, making her turn to look and see who it was, only to be greeted with Trish whose wide-eyes eyed Austin carefully.

"He's hot..." The brunette said meekly, not really sure how to come out with it since she really isn't all that well-experienced when it came to boys.

"Well then!" Trish exclaimed, jumping up as she grabbed Ally's wrist before pulling the brunette up to stand. "Go talk to him!"

"What?" Ally shrieked, quickly sitting back down. "I can't!"

"Why not?" Trish asked, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms in hopeless irritation. "He's your friend, remember?"

"Yeah, but, he's with his other friends right now!" Ally sighed, quickly grabbing her book which she had laid somewhere behind her on the cloth. "I'd rather not disturb him!"

"Oh, please Ally!" Trish grunted, flicking her hand out in an exaggerated manner. "I can so tell you're just dying to talk to him!"

"No I'm not." The brunette rolled her eyes as she started writing down a new set of lyrics, suddenly feeling inspired.

_Sun is scorching hot; got my shades, shorts and tank top_

"What's the point of you coming here then if you're just gonna sit and write on that little book of yours?" Trish almost screamed out in frustration, literally dying to see Ally fumble and mumble over to Austin. "The beach is suppose to be for swimming and playing in the water, enjoying the sunny weather and for oggling and flirting with cute guys!"

_Boy is looking fine; I stare and I gawk, wasting my own time_

"Sorry Trish..." Ally sighed as she stopped writing for a second to give her friend an apologetic smile. "I just don't wanna embarrass myself in front of him."

"Embarrass yourself? Pshhhh. No you won't Ally." Trish said, trying to sound as convincing as she possibly could but, based on the death glare she was now receiving from Ally, she really wasn't that successful at all.

"Trish, you know I'm just gonna end up finding some way to trip right in front of him, humiliating myself." Ally mumbled, tearing her glare away from Trish as she continued on to write on her book.

_Sand is everywhere, on his trunks, on his toes and his hair_

Trish sighed deeply, trying to think of a way to reel Ally into going over to talk to Austin. Her best friend was stubborn, no doubt about that. But, she was way more stubborn — that's for sure.

_My eyes don't look away, my mind begs me to go up and say 'Hey'_

And just when she was just a bout to give up, an idea suddenly shot her out of nowhere. And with one cheshire cat grin, she suddenly bent down and grabbed Ally's precious book, running away with it towards Austin. This made her brunette best friend shriek in fear as she suddenly stood up out of impulse.

"TRISH!" Ally screamed in horror as she saw her best friend 'accidentally' bumping into Austin and dropping the book right in front of him.

"Sorry Alls." Trish muttered to herself as she ran away from the confused-looking blonde-haired boy, grinning like mad. "This is for your own good."

_She'll thank me someday for this!_

Ally watched, completely frozen, as Austin curiously picked up the fallen book. He raised an eyebrow at it before a sudden smirk tugged at his lips. And that's when Ally realized, he knew it belonged to her!

_He saw me writing on it yesterday!_

Grabbing a handful of her hair, Ally began to rapidly chew at it before she completely felt a sudden surge of confidence. Chewing her hair really did make that much of a difference after all.

So, with a face scrunched up in determination, she ran over to Austin, suddenly catching him off-guard as she unexpectedly — well, unexpectedly for him anyway — grabbed the book from his hand before hugging it close to her chest in a protective manner.

"Don't touch my book!" She shouted at him as her eyes glistened a little with tears of fear that threatened to fall.

"Ally?" He asked, quite surprised and a little amused.

She turned to walk away — book still tight against her chest — but he suddenly grabbed her by the arm, before pulling her back to him, almost making her bump into him and his well-toned chest.

"I'm sorry." He sighs, as he ran his free hand through his bleach-blonde hair while closing his eyes.

Ally said nothing as she stared at his hold on her arm. The same feelings of warmth and security always seemed to engulf her whenever they came across this same sort of position. Her breath got caught in her throat once again as she was rendered speechless, butterflies fluttering wildly inside her stomach.

"Your friend dropped it and I kinda figured it was yours so, I got curious." He sheepishly explained, his eyes now open — showing in them that spark he had with a little bit of innocence and sincerity mixed in them — as his hand ran past his hair, now nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"It's..." Ally breathed out deeply as she tried to regain her ability to speak without stuttering. "...okay."

He grinned at her, happy she had accepted his apology as he let go of her arm, making her miss the warm feeling of it. He then sat back down on the ground as he grabbed his bottle of Breezer.

"Good." He smiled at her before taking in a small drink from the bottle.

Ally eyed him in wonderment, thinking to herself how strong the alcohol on that drink is. She was almost tempted to ask him for a sip but, she had a lot more willpower than that. So, shaking her head, she turned to leave.

"I better go." She mumbled to him, not really sure if he heard her as she walked away from him.

Unexpectedly, he grabbed her by the wrist before pulling her back — this time, making her land into him.

Her face collided with his hard chest as he chuckled a bit, feeling quite proud of his actions. He set his drink down as he pushed Ally's face away from his chest before grinning at her that childish and boyish grin of his.

"Why, Ally, you're here with me now." He shook his head, his grin slightly turning into a very mischievous smirk. "You come with me and I'll show you the way to have fun."

"What—I—you—I mean—huh?" She stuttered, gasping at his sudden offer, making him chuckle a bit.

"Don't worry." He smiled; he did not grin that boyish grin or smirk that mischievous smirk. Instead, he smiled his genuinely charming smile that was coated in nothing but warm sincerity. "I won't hurt you. I'll keep you safe. I promise."

And even with the fact that he may end up being a little bit tipsy from his four bottles of Breezer — she could tell it was four since the empty bottles were all littered inside his cooler — she said 'Yes'. She didn't say 'No', she didn't protest, she didn't shake her head or rant out every reason possible for her not to go. No; she just said 'Yes'.

So with a wide grin, he stood up, his hand still holding onto her wrist as he pulled her up to her feet. Drinking a little more from his fifth bottle of Breezer, he strutted out with Ally behind, to wherever; planning to make this girl's beach experience an incredible one indeed.

And with a smile, Ally followed him, letting him drag her as lyrics floated about inside her head, making her take a mental note to later write them down.

_I smile and I blush; hello, what's this? Is he my new crush?_

_:::_

He's been dragging her around the beach for almost an hour now and she wasn't even sure where he plans on taking her. Her feet were tired, her wrist hurt a little from his tight grip — that never seemed to let go — and the heat was really getting to her. All in all, Ally Dawson was not enjoying this beach experience at all.

Austin on the other hand was quite oblivious to the frowning girl's irritated mood as he just happily walked along the sandy coast of the beach, humming his favorite summer song — 'Blame it on September' by Allstar Weekend. His eyes were burning with excitement as he couldn't contain the giddy feeling — yes, Austin Moon was feeling giddy right at this moment — that's dying to burst out of him.

Reaching what seemed to be their destination, Austin grinned wide as Ally's eyebrow shot up in confusion. There they stood at the top of the sandy hill, overlooking the sandy coast of the beach that was filled with people — mostly shirtless boys showing off their six-pack as they surfed the strong waves of the sea — laughing and cheering and dancing to the loud booming music.

"What's this Austin?" Ally asked as she stared wide-eyed at the sight before her.

"It's this week's surfing competition!" He cheerfully beamed at her as he started dragging her down the hill, his hold on her wrist still as tight as ever. "And this week, I'm planning on joining and winning!"

"Okay?" Ally said, quite unsure of what to say. "But, why am I here then?"

"Well, I'll need someone to support me, right?" He asked, stopping dead on his tracks as he gave her a genuinely confused look, tilting his head a bit to the side. "That's what friends do right? Cheer on and support each other?"

Ally looked at him, quite amused and shock at his very child-like response. She really wasn't sure what to say to that but, she honestly found the current look on his face quite — no, actually, very — adorable.

"Austin, do you not know what it's like to be friends?" She asked, her tone quite sarcastic with a bit of mocking amusement.

"Well, I do." He answered, scratching the back of his neck as he looked down on the ground, not really getting the tone of her voice.. "Just never with girls."

He whispered the last bit that Ally could almost not hear what he said. But, she did hear and, what she heard clearly took her by surprise. Her eyes went wide, her jaw dropped down and her mind completely shut off out of total shock.

"It's not my fault!" He tried to reason out as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Every girl I've ever met, I ended up making out with and then never talking to her after!"

"Why?" It was all that Ally could say as she felt herself dying to laugh out loud.

"I don't know. I'm too hot for girls to just be friends with, I guess." He shrugged casually, making Ally roll her eyes at his conceit. "And plus, I see it in movies all the time; girls cheering on their guyfriends in competitions and what not."

Sighing, Ally shook her head as she just pulled her wrist from Austin — who didn't let go — dragging him out down to the beach where the competitors seemed to have been gathered.

"Fine. I'll cheer you on, 'friend'!" She grunted, putting great emphasis on the word 'friend'. "Oh, and just so you know, if you don't win, you're gonna have to buy me a big jar of pickles!"

He raised an amused eyebrow at her, chuckling to himself as he found Ally's outrageous request very, well, random. The girl never failed to amuse him to no end.

But pushing those thoughts aside — for now — he put on a serious face, silently following Ally as she made her way through the crowd of surfers. He could hear her constant mumbles of 'Excuse me' and 'I'm sorry' or 'Ooops, I didn't mean to step on your foot', urging him to smile a bit. But, the thought of trying to intimidate his competition — that, and the fact that there were other boys oggling and staring at his brunette friend's body — prevented him from doing so.

He growled at the boys that dared to look Ally's way, scaring the lust-filled and prying eyes of those perverts. His hold on Ally's wrist went tight as his heart started to beat a million times faster in rage. His eyes narrowed themselves, turning the innocent shade of brown in them into something more red and angry.

"Hey doll." A boy of about seventeen — with shaggy brown hair and highlights along with olive green eyes to match — stopped right in front of them, his grin a mischievous one with a little bit of sadism in it. He winked in a flirtatious manner at Ally as the brunette girl took a small step back.

"Get lost you dick." Austin nearly yelled out of frustration at the boy as he pulled Ally back behind him.

"Pft. Why should I?" The boy laughed out loud, his eyes still looking Ally up and down with lust.

"'Coz I said so." Austin bit back at the boy, his temper shooting up high and his patience running thin.

"Austin..." Ally tugged at him, trying to find a way to calm the raging boy down. But the pervert whose mouth wouldn't shut deemed it to be impossible as he kept on spitting out words that provoked Austin.

"And why should I listen to you?" The boy howled louder in laughter as he shook his head at Austin. "You Superman or something?"

That did it. In one quick second, Austin's hand came in contact with the perverted boy's cheeks, causing the boy to stumble back in pain.

"The fuck man?" The boy shouted, his eyes went from olive green of lust to red with anger. "I'm gonna make you pay for that!"

Charging with stomping feet towards Austin, the boy balled his hand into a tight fist, trying to punch the blonde-haired boy on the face, in means of revenge. Unfortunately for him — or fortunately for Austin — Austin quickly ducked out of the way and kicked the boy on the stomach, smirking with pride at himself.

"Who said anything about Superman?" Austin grinned obnoxiously at the boy as he pulled Ally with him. "What's so good about a gay boy in red tights and cape?"

Ally wanted to retort back but felt that it probably wasn't the time. After all, Austin's sudden behavior kind of took her by surprise and she was slightly scared of him right now.

"Superman's got a kick and a punch." The boy said, trying to stand up but, he wobbled a bit.

Austin smirked at this. Although, that smirk was soon wiped out of his face as all of a sudden, unexpectedly, he grabbed hold of Ally's free hand and pulled her back into him.

"Of course, what's the hero without his girl?" The perverted boy smirked wide as his eyes gleamed in cruel sadism.

"Fuck you bastard!" Austin shouted, accidentally letting go of Ally's wrist as the force the boy had pulled on at her was incredibly strong. "Let her go!"

"No." The boy smirked, pulling Ally close to him as the brunette girl gasped in surprise, staring at Austin with wide and pleading eyes.

"Fuck sake." Austin growled, stomping back over to the boy as he gritted his teeth.

_If I only drank Vodka, or maybe even Red Bull instead of Breezer, I could take this bastard on easily!_

"Austin—" Ally tried to say but the guy pulled her back to behind him as Austin came face to face with him, his eyes burning in so much rage.

"Let. Her. Go." Austin let out in a rasped voice through his gritted teeth.

"Alright Superman, here's the deal." The boy smirked, not fazed at all by Austin's glare. "I'll give her back to you, but first, you gotta win against me in that surfing competition."

The boy had said the deal in a whisper, preventing Ally from hearing of it as Austin took a step back, thinking about it for a moment. He could go with that option or just punch this guy hard in the face and it'll all be over soon enough. But, if he did the latter option, there's a chance the boy might duck and he'll end up hitting Ally. Or worse, the boy might end up using Ally as a shield!

_Fuck. I can't take that risk._

He inwardly growled to himself before shaking his head. He glared at the boy before him one last time as he bit his lip. But, a thought suddenly came to mind as his eyes glowed a bit in sudden mischief. He kind of almost smirked as he realized something.

_Jayz, where'd be the fun in just ending this now?_

"I accept, you fucking bastard." Austin said, in a more calm tone.

"Good." The boy smirked, happy that things went his way. He leaned a little bit into Austin's ear, making sure Ally doesn't hear a thing he says to Austin, whispering, "And if you lose, I'll do shit with her."

Austin pulled back, his eyes staring hard and cold at the boy before him. He looked away, looking down on the ground, slightly — just a teensy, tiny, little bit — regretting the deal that he's made, before lifting his head up to look at Ally with worried eyes. He mouthed to her a 'Don't worry, you'll be fine' before he turned around to walk away, heading towards the Dj who was in charge of the competitors' list.

Ally just looked at his retreating back, wondering what went down between the two boys, completely oblivious to the deal and slightly worried and hurt that Austin would just leave her alone with this perverted maniac.

_How could he?_

The boy smirked, leaning down on Ally, whispering into her ear, "He's not gonna save you, girlie."

Tears threatened to fall out of her eyes as she looked down on the ground, her hands balled tight into fists. She couldn't believe what she just heard and frankly, she didn't wanna believe it. But, right at this moment, it seemed to be the only explanation there is.

The boy's smirk grew wide as he slung his arm around Ally, comforting her in a fake manner, saying that he's the one there for her. This did not make Ally feel any better.

_I don't want this shithead pervert! I want Austin — my drunk hero — back!_

And Austin she will get, her drunk hero will be there. For the blonde-haired boy has gone out to the bar, ordering three big bottles of strong Vodka, readying himself to take on the challenge that has been set out for him.

_Don't worry Ally. I'm coming to get'cha._

_:::_

A strong surge of alcohol ran hot through his veins as his heart went beating a hundred miles per hour. Sweat dripped off him as he could feel himself gaining a little more confidence. He looked around the place, his eyes landing on a small brunette girl, curled up at a rock 'round the corner of the beach with a stoic and blank look plastered on her face.

He sighed deeply, feeling like shit as he thought of the possibility that she may be thinking he has abandoned her. But, it was far from that. He was doing this for her.

_I haven't felt this drunk since the last day of summer. And I can't even remember what happened that day!_

He kinda swore to himself not to drink anymore — except his occasional shots of Breezer 'coz, let's face it, he's Austin Moon and what would Austin Moon be without his playboy antics and alcoholic drinks? — because he knew it well that drinking his sorrows away really wouldn't fix any of his problems; it'd just kill him. But tonight, he'd make an exception. He needed the alcohol; he desperately needed to drink.

So as he stood there, watching that brown haired pervert surfing through the waves and impressing the judges, he couldn't help but think to himself of all the things he'd do for that Ally Dawson girl. He figured that's probably what having a friend that's a girl was kinda like. But he's sure there was more to it than just that.

He awaited his turn, kicking the sand in impatience as he used his surfboard to help him stay up on his feet. He's lost better control of his legs and it makes him wonder how he'll be able to stay standing up on the board later on as he surfs. But he knew it himself, the more alcohol he drank, the better he performed. May it be music, fighting, surfing or anything at all.

Over at the rock, Ally took a glance at him, wondering to herself if she should still cheer him on. But she noticed that there was something a little bit amiss about him yet she just couldn't quite exactly put her finger onto it.

His standing was a bit off, like he needed the board to keep him from falling or something. His body seemed a little more tense as well and he emitted a very overconfident aura that Ally was not too familiar with. And for a second there, she realized something.

_He's drunk!_

Snapping her head up, her eyes widened as she stared at the back of Austin, worry etching all over her face. She tried to stand up but, a thought she remembered brought her to sit back down.

_You get out of here and I swear to God I'll rip the head off of your precious barbie boy!_

The pervert had threatened her, causing Ally to sit back down as she grabbed a handful of her hair before chewing at it. Her heart started to beat faster as she felt herself getting nervous for Austin. And, not just that; she wonders how he'll be able to compete in that state.

But what she doesn't know is that the alcohol really hasn't taken over Austin that much yet. He was still a little bit conscious and he still kind of knew what he was doing.

He shook his head as he tried to steady his breathing, his world spinning a little. He could see the brown-haired pervert finish off his surfing routine as he got off the sea, trudging towards the wet sand while giving Austin a very dirty look and a very smug grin. Rolling his eyes, Austin just ignored him before turning around to take a look at Ally.

He realized that she's been staring at him for awhile now and he could clearly see the flicker of worry in her eyes. He knew that she knew he was — kind of — drunk but, he wouldn't let her dwell on it. So, giving her a very reassuring smile and a wink, he gave her a thumbs up before turning his focus back to the water.

Ally saw the gesture and her heart had lightened up a bit but, she was still a little bit scared. She was worried for Austin and she was worried for herself as well. But as she looked on and watched him start to surf, all those horrible thoughts flew out the window. He was — and she clearly saw it, no deceit in her eyes — an incredible surfer.

Despite the fact that he had drank enough alcohol to cause him to probably go a little bit off balance, he stayed standing on the board as he surfed through the waves, gliding and riding on them like he's been doing it all his life. There was a small smirk on his lips and his eyes had let go of it's innocence, replacing in them a fiery spark of determination.

Ally's eyes were captivated by the way he had surfed through the waves; so rough and edgy, yet so graceful and elegant — like he was dancing with them. Her mouth went slightly agape as a little bit of hope filled her heart, slowing down it's beating. She was left breathless at the scene and she couldn't help but smile as she saw another side of Austin.

_I never knew he could surf! Let alone be this good at it!_

The perverted boy's smug smirk had dropped and all that was left was his angry glare and a scowl. He grunted before stomping over towards Ally and grabbing her by the wrist, making the girl yelp in response as he started taking her away.

Austin saw this just right before he started finishing off his routine and growled in anger before not-so-gracefully making a backflip with the board and slowing down. He got off the board quickly and kicked the holder around his ankle off as he started to run after the perverted boy who had held Ally captive. And now knowing that he's got the help he needed from the alcohol, fighting the boy wouldn't be much of a trouble.

This didn't impress the judges much as people gasped a little at his rash actions. But, he didn't care. All he wanted to do was get over to the boy, punch him right on the face, before taking Ally and running away with her.

_That bastard's gonna pay!_

The boy had dragged Ally off to a secluded area in the beach while Austin followed quickly behind them. She didn't think he'd make it in time as the boy had already started his advances on her but, somehow — by a miracle — he made it.

He pulled the boy's head away from Ally's neck, turning him around as he punched him right on the face. Next, he stomped on the boy's foot, elbowing his stomach. This caused the boy to scream in pain as Austin smirked — a little bit too sadistically — and laughed.

And even with the fact that Austin was doing this for her, Ally couldn't help but feel terrified. The sight of Austin with his maniacal laugh, beating this poor boy senseless, was too much to bare and Ally wanted it to stop. He was scaring her shitless and she felt even way worse than the first time he went drunk on her.

_Austin! I can't take this! I need to stop him!_

With all the courage she could muster, Ally went up to Austin and grabbed his wrist, pulling him away from the boy. This made him turn around and grab her by the arm with his tight grip as he angrily glared at her.

"Austin, please stop! You're scaring me!" Ally pleaded, her brown eyes glistening with tears of fear that threatened to fall out as she winced at his vice-like grip.

Austin's eyes widened, suddenly realizing what he's doing. He instantly let go of her hand as he opened his mouth to try and explain.

"I—" He tried to speak but Ally cut him off as she grabbed his hand and pulled him into her, her heart beating fast at the warm feel of their holding hands.

"Austin, stop." She pleaded at him as she wrapped one arm around his waist, her other hand still holding onto his hand. She buried her face into his chest, crying a little as she spoke in a muffled voice, saying, "Don't hurt him anymore."

"I'm sorry." He said, hearing Ally's soft pleading cries as he awkwardly hugged her back. "I won't."

"Don't drink again Austin." She whispered into his chest and he nodded, stroking the top of her head in a comforting manner. "Please, just don't."

"I won't." He said, hugging her tighter as he leaned his head down on her neck. "I promise you, I won't."

Ally nodded 'coz she believed him. She didn't hesitate to believe him 'coz she knew he was being honest. His tight hold on her hand was proof enough, making her smile into his chest.

And because he finally realized that Ally Dawson was a girl so much different from the rest, it made him happy. It made him smile as he felt that warm feeling spark inside of him.

Because even though he's still a little drunk, he's still a little bit tipsy and crazy, he still knew that it's a promise he won't ever break.

_Because I'd do anything to make you happy. This I promise you._

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**-x-**

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**IMPORTANT!**

Hey! Well, I'm typing this out so late at night & my eyes are begging me to sleep so, I'll make this quick. First of all, I will admit that this is my least favorite chapter. I'm so bummed about how sloppy it came out & how it kinda dragged on. I'm not too proud about the editing either since I'm feeling a little lazy right now. I'm sorry about that. It's just, I don't wanna make any excuses or anything but, the pressure of schoolwork is just getting to me, you know? But, luckily, I've got a four-day weekend so, I might end up starting the 5th chapter off. No guarantees I'll be able to update soon though. I really didn't wanna disappoint you guys so, I just had to post this chapter up tonight since I'm that dedicated. I even gave up a sleepover at my best friend's house just to be able to update. Jaaayz. I better get a decent amount of reviews for this hard work & sacrifice of mine ¬.¬ Just kidding ^^ But, helping me get my 60th review before the 5th chapter would be very much appreciated ^^ Would you guys do that for me, please? Oh, & btw, my favorite Auslly author (Janzelle) just favorited this fic & alerted it which basically took me high on Cloud 9 :o I'm so happy XD Anyway, I'm really tired now so I'm just gonna go off... Please read & review :) You guys are so great ;* & sorry again for the crapness of this chapter -.- I'll make the 5th one better to make up for it :) & btw, notice how each chapter just keeps getting longer & longer o.o


	5. Chapter Five – Her Party Night

**Like a Playboy**

_Chapter Five – Her Party Night_

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**-x-**

* * *

**Summary: **He's always been some sort of a playboy & she's always been some sort of a goody-two-shoes. But it's okay 'coz it's her & it's him & somehow, they still fit to be the perfect two. Austin&Ally. Auslly. AU.

**Rating: **Rated T for strong language & drunk scenes :)

**Inspiration: **Well, it's a cliché idea but, I've wanted to put Austin into that playboy kind of character for awhile now but, I just really hadn't conjured up a good plot for a fic so, I didn't. But after a little incident down town with my friends, I finally got it! & well, here's what came out of it :P

**A/N: **Well, things might get a little bit interesting here ;) You see, I've been dying to type out this chapter for a long time now XD Hahahaha, it's just 'coz the plot for this chapter was meant to be for chapter three but I figured it was way too early &+ I wasn't that keen on doing a time-skip that time. But anyway, here you'll see if Austin really did keep his promise to Ally & of course, drunkness. But, surprise, surprise; it's not Austin going drunk this time :o Dun dun dun. Hahahahaha, this'll probably be the last chapter (for a while anyway) that'll involve major drunk scenes ^^ I know I've been putting up too much of that so I'm guessing you guys deserve a bit of a break from it ^^ But, maybe now & then you'll see Austin with a bottle of Breezer or WKD once in a while 'coz, let's face it, what's Austin here without his alcohol ;) & btw, information on the alcoholic drinks that have been used for this chapter and & the past four chapters (alcohol content & whatnot) are found at the end of this chapter so if you really wanna know how intoxicated they really are, read it **after **this chapter, 'kay? Enjoy ^^

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Austin&Ally & I never will but one of these days, I'll meet Ross Lynch & Laura Marano in person :')

* * *

**-x-**

* * *

It's been three days and her first week at school is almost over in a few hours. And as Ally walked down the busy hallway of Miami High, awaiting for the day to end, she starts to wonder to herself what she's done wrong.

Tuesday, believe it or not, was the last time she had spoken to Austin and it, for some unknown reason — well, she'd say unknown but really, it just was denial of the fact that she misses that blonde-haired boy of hers — was driving her mad.

He sat beside her in their homeroom class — how he got that smart, she never really dares to ask — and yet he never utters one peep to her; even when she's the one starting the conversation! They have Science, Math, English, Gym, ICT, Art and Music together yet not one in those classes, for the past three days, has he spoken one word or even taken one glance at her. And every time she sees him down the hallways — either just walking to class, standing by his locker and hanging with his friends or making out with some new girl he's found interest in — she smiles yet he would just either stare blankly at her or continue making-out with the girl and just flat-out ignore her!

The whole situation at hand was tormenting her to no end and quite frankly, it was taking her way down to the brink of insanity.

_What's his problem? Going all 'macho' Superman on me and beating that guy up drunk and then promising not to drink anymore just to ignore me days after!_

She nearly pulled her hair out in frustration as she got to her locker but, the thought of the pain she'd have to deal with — and also the fact that she did love those caramel-brown curls of hers and that she'd lose something to chew on when nerve-wrecking moments strike — if she did pull out her hair, stopped her from doing so. Instead, she just settled for one loud grunt as she slammed open her locker door before recklessly throwing in it her books.**  
**

Closing her locker door right after she was done throwing her useless books and grabbing them ones she needed, she huffed out her way to class, her knee-high tan boots' heels making loud clicking noises as she stomped her way down the hall.

But, just before she could make a turn for the corner of the hallway, someone suddenly grabbed her by the arm, causing her to turn around to face the culprit.

She had hoped it was Austin. Actually, she almost nearly thought it was Austin. Truth be told, a smile was already placed on her lips the minute the person grabbed her because she was so sure it was him. So, imagine the disappointment she felt when she saw that it wasn't Austin.

"Hi!" A dark brown-haired girl with mischievous blue eyes smiled wide as she greeted her, one hand having a tight hold on Ally's arm.

"Hello?" Ally questioningly asked as she tilted her head a bit to the side in confusion. "May I help you?"

"Of course!" The girl nodded eagerly as she let go of Ally's arm to take something out of her black and red shoulder bag. "You're Ally Dawson, right?"

"Yes. Yes I am." Ally answered quite unsure as she carefully eyed the girl before her who was rummaging through her bag, trying to find something which Ally wasn't quite sure of what is.

"I'm Alexis Denise Carter!" The girl looked up from her bag as she smiled brightly, taking one hand out of her bag to give to Ally to shake. Ally took the hand a little bit hesitantly as the girl continued to speak on, saying, "But please just call me Alex!"

"Hello." Ally said once again; this time, her tone quite blunt and nonchalant.

"I'm sorry to take some of your time but—" the girl trailed off, her face brightening as she finally got a hold of what she was looking for. With one wide grin, she swiftly took out a little black envelope from her bag, handing it out to Ally as she spoke and said "—here!"

"What's this?" Ally asked, her chocolate brown eyes eying the black envelope carefully as her eyebrows shot up in question.

"It's an invitation to this year's 'Party Night, Friday Night, Kick Off'!" Alex said, grinning wide as Ally slowly and carefully took the invitation from her. "You see, every first Friday of the year, my sister and I hold a party for the Sophomores and up to kick off this high school year's party life!"

"Oh." Ally nodded in understanding, remembering that one time in Freshmen year when everyone in her homeroom class talked for days end on how to crash the first ever high school party of the year.

"Yes." Alex nodded as she pointedly nodded her head while closing her eyes. "And well, we've only chosen quite a few people actually this year from the Sophomore batch and you're one of those lucky people!"

"That's great!" Ally smiled a little, giddiness taking over her a bit as the thought of being 'one of the few lucky people' rang through her mind.

_But I can't forget about my morals! And also, my dad would so not let me go!_

"I'm sorry Alex." Ally sighed, the giddy feeling in her slowly dissipating away. "I really appreciate the invite but I'm afraid I might not be able to go. Dad might not let me."

This caused a small giggle to come out of the blue-eyed girl as she grinned mischievously at Ally. She shook her head, shoving the black envelope into Ally's hand before deciding to speak.

"Silly girl." Alex said, her shoulders shaking from the amused laughter that dared to erupt out of her. "Just sneak out."

"What?" Ally nearly shouted and, for the first time since this conversation started, she became fully aware that they might both be late to class. But right now, she couldn't really care less about it.

_Whoa! Since when did I stopped caring about being punctual?_

"Sneak out!" Alex said again, this time adding more emphasis to it. "Girl, you're in Sophomore year now! You should get out, let lose and party wild!"

"Oh no!" Ally said, her eyes widening in horror. "I'm not that kind of girl, really. I'm just like—"

"Pft. Please Ally!" Alex cut her off, rolling her eyes at the brunette girl's rambling. "You are so that kind of girl!"

"No! Really, I'm not!" Ally said, trying to convince herself more than Alex.

It's all because for, even though the thought of going to her first party ever and being 'one of the few lucky people' excited her — 'coz, let's face it; she only ever did go to one party a year and honestly, this could change that little fact — she didn't really wanna do anything to upset her father or break her morals.

_And plus, I'm not that good at lying or sneaking out! This is more of Trish's speed!_

"Look Ally!" Alex said, nearly snapping at Ally as she stared hard at the other brunette girl. "Don't be a fucking goodie-two-shoes all your life. You need to learn how to live and have fun, the right way!"

"I—" Ally tried to retort back but Alex had beat her to it.

"I'm sure you're under a lot of pressure right now and that you've got problems of your own! This could be your chance! You could use this night to have a little bit of a drink, dance a little and get to know more people and be friends with them!" Alex said in the most tempting and persuading voice she could muster. She wasn't gonna give up on making sure Ally Dawson — goodie-two-shoes little Allyster Marie Dawson — gets to that party.

"I don't know..." Ally trailed off, looking down on the ground as she thought to herself about the decision she might make.

"Hell. If you've got a boy problem, or any problem at all, this party'll make you forget about it!" Alex practically shouted, grabbing hold of Ally's shoulder as she started to violently shake them. "Let go of the worries Ally and just party the night away!"

Ally thought she wanted to say 'No'. She thought she desperately needed to say 'No'. But, just one think over the whole ordeal with Austin and her mind completely went on auto-pilot, making her say 'Yes' — the word she so desperately, honestly needed. It's 'coz, quite frankly, it really just was the truth.

"Yes. I'll go." Ally finally let out breathlessly as Alex squealed out in excitement, putting her hands up in the air before running off down the hallway.

"Great! See you later Ally! Details are in the card!" The brown-haired, blue-eyed girl shouted over to Ally as she ran off, leaving the other brunette to dwell on herself of whether she made the right decision or not.

_Somehow, Austin's rebellious bad boy attitude is rubbing off on me. Eurgh._

_:::_

The boys' locker room was buzzing with noises of different chatter and senseless conversations. There was a loud howling of laughter heard and banging of lockers mixed in with the slight tapping noises of the showers being used. The air was hot, steamy and thick and it smelled with obvious sweat, body odor and the strong scent of men's body spray.

And right there at the corner of the room was Austin Moon, cringing his nose as he texted away on his phone, ignoring the rest of the basketball team that had busied themselves with works of getting change and showering.

"So Austin." The blonde-haired boy heard his name being called out as he turned to his right to take a small glance at his brunette friend.

"Max." He acknowledge the brunette boy with a nod before turning his attention back to his phone.

"You coming to tonight's kick-off?" Max asked, sitting down on the red metal bench beside Austin.

"Might not." The blonde mumbled, not really taking his gaze off his phone.

"Why not?" Max asked, looking at his friend with a very skeptical look.

"Just trying to cut back a bit on the drinks." Austin mumbled again, this time tearing his eyes away from his focus on his phone to confront his friend. "And I've got a huge hangover from last night that I still haven't gotten rid of."

"Dude? Cut back on the drinks? That's like the lamest excuse I've ever heard." Max snorted, rolling his eyes as he chuckled a bit in slight amusement. "What is it really?"

"I told you." Austin grunted, leaning his head back onto the locker beside him with closed eyes. "I'm cutting back on the drinks — believe it or not — and I'm trying to get rid of this hangover."

"How much did you drink last night at that party anyway?" The brunette boy asked, looking at Austin, seeing the tired state his friend is in.

"Just about four bottles of Vodka." Austin let out in a very hushed and rushed tone, worried someone might hear and take the news to Ally. "And six bottles of WKD."

"Damn boy." Max shook his head in amusement. "You're killing yourself.

"I know." Austin poked one eye open to take a look at his friend. "That's why I'm cutting back on it."

"Well, it's not as bad as what happened on Tuesday night. Boy, were you drunk." Max said, his voice hinting a bit of amusement and mockery in them, causing Austin to sit up and look at his friend dead in the eye.

"That was uncalled for." Austin growled, remembering the events that had taken place the night after he had dropped off Ally home.

"Fuck dude. You drank like five bottles of Breezer when we left you and you disappeared all of a sudden without even telling us, only to come knocking at my house at eleven o'clock at night with a throbbing headache and a craving for Vodka. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you would've drank like six bottles that night, excluding the ones you probably drank at the beach before you came to my house." Max snorted, his tone still holding that same hint of amusement and mockery. Only this time, he added in a little bit of sarcasm, sympathy and worry in it as well. "You gotta stop drinking."

"Look." Austin scowled as he glared hard at his friend while standing up. "I was under a lot of stress that night and I didn't know how to deal with it! And plus, Breezer isn't even that bad and throughout the whole day, I only drank a maximum of six bottles of Vodka since you helped me with about two of them!"

"Chill dude!" Max put his hands up, trying to calm Austin down as he gave his friend a deadly serious look. "Six bottles of Vodka isn't healthy for a sixteen years old. And Breezer is the reason you don't remember half the shit you did that last day of summer so don't go give me that 'Breezer can't even be considered an alcoholic drink' bullshit of an excuse."

"Whatever." Austin grumbled, huffing as he sat back down. "I'm not drinking anymore anyway starting today."

"Good." Max relaxed a bit as he let lose of his hands, bringing them back down. "It's for your own good man."

"Dez would've said the exact same thing." Austin muttered as he looked down on the ground. "But he'd be more strict about it."

"And Zach wouldn't care less. He's a worse alcoholic than you." Max chuckled dryly as he thought of their black-haired friend who, in the absence of, enabled them to have a serious conversation for once.

Sighing deeply, Austin took a slight glance at his friend, his eyes almost pleading, making Max wonder what was going on up inside the blonde-haired boy's mind.

"Please don't tell anyone about Tuesday night at your house." He told Max, his voice almost begging as the brunette boy could only raise his eyebrow up. "And please don't tell anyone about yesterday night as well."

Max gave Austin a strange look, thinking over to himself if Austin was actually being serious for, in normal occasions, Austin would've probably jump at the chance of getting to brag about getting wasted. One look into those brown tired eyes of his friend and he quickly understood that Austin was indeed very serious. Why though, he could not comprehend.

"Sure." He muttered, giving Austin a very assuring nod. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Good." Austin grinned a little bit, his eyes — if Ally were here, she'd notice it quicker than a heartbeat — missing that wonderful sparkle it once always had.

"Too bad you're not going tonight though." Max shrugged carelessly as he stood up from the metal bench to grab his belongings which messily lay on the floor beside them. "I heard there's going to be spiked punch and they've invited all them people that you normally wouldn't see out. Like that Tina Mason girl and Adrian Martinez. Oh, and get this, Ally Dawson's going as well."

The mention of Ally's name caused Austin's ears to perk up but he steadily kept his cool, still sitting down calmly on the bench while carefully eying his friend who was busy picking up and tidying up his things.

"Can't believe Alex actually got Miss Goodie-Two-Shoes Dawson to actually agree and go." Max said in an obviously excited tone. "It'd be good to see what that girl is like drunk."

"Yeah. It'd be funny." Austin muttered, standing up from the bench to pick-up his own stuff as well.

"Well, see ya later." Max said, waving a hand at Austin as the blonde-haired boy slightly nodded in response before Max was completely out of the locker room's door.

Austin sighed out loud as he punched a tight and frustrated fist through the locker beside him. A loud bang was heard but he doubted anyone took heed of it for, it's not the first time he's done something like this anyway.

So, grabbing his black gym bag from the floor, he hurried to get out of the boys' locker room, trying to see if he could catch sight of the brunette girl to talk to her before she does something he knows she'll regret.

_How stupid is she? Making me swear not to drink and then she goes on with her stupid gullible mind, agreeing to go to a party crawling with drunkards and full of spiked punch. Stupid, idiotic, gullible girl!_

_:::_

The night was a little bit colder than usual and the crisp air that surrounded the Dawson household was eerily quiet as a soft blowing breeze passes by the velvety red curtains of Ally's room, making them sway and dance a bit.

The silence killed Ally as she nervously paced back and forth around her room, thinking to herself whether she should go on with her plan to sneak out and head for the party or just be the good girl that she is and just stay home, obeying her morals' orders and her father's 'no partying 'til you're 18' rule.

She took a slight glance to her right, carefully eying the outfit she had chosen to wear specially for tonight. A plain white and lilac flowery tube top that flowed up to her thighs, ripped and stylish denim shorts that went well with her denim vest and of course, her signature tan brogue heeled boots with white ankle socks to match.

She felt rather satisfied with her choice of clothing, making her more than eager to just throw it on and head for the party. But, every time she thinks of doing such a thing, her body would freeze, rendering her immobile.

Grunting in frustration, she stomped her right foot hard onto her carpeted bedroom floor, before she turned to head towards her balcony. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the cold air that surrounded her, trying to take in enough of it to help calm her raging nerves down.

_If I wasn't such a goodie-two-shoes, this decision would've been so easy to make!_

And all of a sudden, an idea came into Ally's mind. Her eyes snapped open as they went wide with realization while her grip on the metal bars of her room's balcony went tight. She turned to look back inside her bedroom, taking a short glance at the outfit she had chosen as it set fiery determination into her eyes. Nervously chewing her bottom lip, she walked over to the outfit, before sighing deeply to herself.

_Dad's not home; probably away to another stupid bar. One that he thinks I probably don't know about._

Taking small hesitant steps out to her bedroom door, Ally started to walk down the stairs, slow surge of confidence running through her veins. Her teeth continued on to chew at her bottom lip as she held on tight to the bars of their wooden stairs, afraid that if she let go, her nerves will take over and cause her to lose balance and fall.

_If I'm going to a party where they might serve some alcoholic drinks, I might as well get a head-start on it._

Finally reaching the bottom of the stairs, Ally sighed in relief as she turned to her left, walking pass the living and dining room to get to their kitchen.

Her steps were slow and nervous as the heels of her boots clicked against her house's wooden floor. Each time a sound was made, she would wince, slightly feeling as if she'd accidentally wake up some ghost living inside their house that will later tell on her dad about her disobeying behavior. She shook away the absurd thought and just hurriedly scurried over to the kitchen, opening the fridge.

_I know dad has some of those bottles in here, somewhere_

Bending down, Ally frantically searched the fridge, trying to find her dad's secret stash of alcoholic drinks which she knows he has — even when he swears on his own life to her that he owns no such thing. Her eyes skillfully scanned the whole area of the fridge — every inch, corner, slot and drawer of it — only to come out with nothing. Frowning, she stood up straight and sighed deeply as she slammed the fridge door close in frustration.

_Eurgh! It's eight-thirty already and I need to be at that party by nine! I'm not even ready yet and I know I'll never be able to find the backbone in me to actually start getting ready and to sneak out without a little bit of help!_

Ally let out a loud and frustrated groan as she ran her hand through her lovely brown hair. She closed her eyes, trying to find in her the strength to calm the fuck down. She didn't even get why she was getting so worked up over this! She was sure it's not about the party anymore.

_It's Austin! Him and his stupid Breezer-loving, alcohol-drinking, girl-playing, cocky-grinning, damselindistress-saving and Superman-hating ass is rubbing off on me!_

Ally cried out, her head on the verge of explosion as she made her way out of the kitchen, slamming open the door to it. She angrily plopped herself down on one of the dining chairs as she set her head down onto the table, tears threatening to fall out of her.

_Why won't he talk to me? Is he mad 'coz I made him swear not to drink anymore? But it's for his own good!_

Sobs started to choke out of her as her eyes started to go red and puffy from the tears. She realizes she's been crying a lot these pass few days since she met him and honestly, she couldn't care less anymore. She somehow felt that he'd be worth the tears anyway.

Coughing a bit, she brought her head up, taking a quick scan at her surroundings. She noticed a few things different inside their dining room. She notices that the table wasn't neatly set-up like the way she would normally do it. She noticed that the dining chairs had increased from just three — for her, her dad and of course, for Trish's occasional visits — to five. She even noticed that their cooler was out of it's hiding and is now laying down on the floor beside the chair nearest to the wall.

_Why would the cooler be out? It's not like me and dad have gone to the beach together recent—_

Her thoughts were cut short as sudden realization hit her. The number of chairs increasing, the messy state of the dining table, the fact that their bag of ice from the fridge went suddenly missing, and of course, the cooler being out as if it's just recently been used; it all made sense to her now!

Abruptly standing up from her seat, Ally rushed over to the cooler, opening it quickly as she saw that her theory had indeed been proven right. There inside the cooler, lying on a bunch of nearly-melted ice, was an assortment of alcoholic drinks that her father had tried so hard to hide from her.

_Gotcha dad._

Ally smirked to herself as she grabbed one full bottle from the cooler. She took a small look at the label reading 'Smirnoff Black Ice' before she hesitantly popped open the bottle cap off with a bottle opener that lay handy inside the cooler.

_Should I?_

Ally debated to herself whether to go on ahead and drink the alcoholic beverage and ignore the ringing voice inside her head — which, strangely enough, sounded a lot like Austin — that's telling her that this would be going against her morals or to be the good girl that she really was and not drink at all, driving her away from the route of hypocrisy and irony.

_Screw it. I need an escape, I need to go to that party and I need to forget about Austin._

Having made up her mind up, Ally brought the bottle up to her lips before she quickly drank from it, chugging down every single drop available.

The effect the drink had on her was instant and quick as she started to feel the burning sensation of the alcoholic drink running pass her throat. She started to feel hot and small beads of sweat started to run down her forehead. A strong surge of sudden confidence ran hot through her veins as Ally felt herself getting more and more lost into the state of the alcoholic mind.

And with one slight grin, Ally finished the bottle off before throwing the empty bottle back into the cooler. She strutted out of the dining room, the whole air around her exuding nothing but swagger and confidence as she started walking up the stairs to prepare for her night out.

_Screw my dad for leaving me to go get wasted. Screw my morals for stopping me from having fun. And more importantly, screw Austin for ignoring me and making me feel like shit. Screw it all!_

_:::_

Finally arriving at the front gate of the Carter family's mansion, Ally swallowed hard as she gripped the hem of her flowery flowy tube-top. She gazed up at the house before her, hearing the loud screams and booming music coming from the inside of the house. She could smell the sweet, delicious scent of the home-cooked finger foods and the strong smell of alcohol lingering about the place.

Her body shook with nerves as she suddenly felt the little bit of courage she plucked up earlier on — with the help of alcohol — start to wash away from her body. She started to make wobbly steps towards the door of the house, feeling a little giddy as she walked on, giggling slightly to herself. She almost lost her balance once and it made her wonder if that's how weak her tolerance to alcohol was.

_Seriously? How much alcohol does Smirnoff Black Ice contain anyway? It can't be more than just five percent or something!_

Finally reaching the door, Ally tried to steady herself up a bit as she ever-so-slightly fixed her hair. She held onto the windowpane by the door, trying hard to keep her balance as she gently knocked on the door. She swallowed hard, preparing herself for what this night had to bring.

The door instantly opened, toppling out of it were three drunk boys — freshmen, Ally could so obviously tell — groaning and moaning, making Ally take a slight step back to the side. They all started cursing at each other for getting caught as Ally awkwardly tried to sneak by them, going in through the door.

_They're so wasted! I hope I don't end up like that!_

Shyly walking into the house, she looked around the dark room — dimly lit by the colorful flashing disco lights above — to see the large amount of people drunkenly dancing to the loud music blaring from the Dj's speakers. She could already feel in her skin the thick, hot and sweaty air around her as she made her way through the crowd of dancing people. The strong scent of alcohol only got more repulsive, overpowering the delicious smell of home-cooked finger foods as she passed by drunk dancers whose breaths oozed with nothing but the smell of liquor and smoke.

Cringing her nose, Ally finally got pass through the crowd as she made her way to the kitchen where the table in which all the food had been neatly laid out sat at. She noticed that no one had even seemed to have eaten a bite off of any food which made her roll her eyes. Shrugging, she grabbed a red paper cup from the side, pouring in it a huge cup-full of red punch.

Bringing the drink up to her lips, she sipped in a bit of it's sweet fruity taste, completely oblivious to the alcohol that lay beneath it. She smiled in satisfaction before taking another drink at it, this time, completely finishing off the cup.

A small and dull pain shot through her head but she just ignored it and shrugged it off, filling in her cup with more punch as she grabbed a few of the chicken nuggets that lay on a plate near the punch bowl. She smiled as she threw in the chicken into her mouth, feeling the crispy feel of the nuggets on her tongue before she drank in all of her punch to wash down the food.

The dull aching pain she felt earlier on came back as her head started to pound. Ally dropped her red cup, grabbing a chair nearby to help her steady herself. She sat down, hoping it would help calm down the pounding in her head. It didn't do much so, she just decided to stand up and walk over to the dance floor.

The moving bodies that surrounded her were grinding against her own as she felt herself being swayed from side to side and pushed all over the place. The loud music added more to the pounding in her head and as she tried to get out of the crowded dance floor but, all of a sudden, she felt herself being pulled.

Turning around, Ally came face-to-face with a blue-eyed, dirty blonde-haired boy. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw the lopsided grin plastered on his face.

"Hello Ally!" The boy spoke up, his words coming out more slurred than ever. Offering his free hand to her, he leaned in to whisper into her ear, saying, "Want to dance?"

"No thank you." Ally shook her head as she politely rejected his offer, gently pushing his hand away.

"Oh, come on Miss Goodie-Two-Shoes! Live a little!" He laughed out loud, pulling Ally back into the dance floor, both of them hearing the music changing from loud pop to hard-core rock.

"No, really, erm, kind boy." Ally tried to squirm out of his tight hold but the boy had an iron grip on her, leaving her helpless.

"The name's Skye. Skye Mathew Baker." He smiled at her and for a second, Ally almost forgot the boy was drunk.

"Ally Dawson." She muttered, looking down on the ground as he started to dance skillfully beside her.

"I know, silly." He grinned again, grabbing both of Ally's arms, trying to lead her dancing.

"I'm sorry, I really can't dance." Ally shyly groaned as she tried to get away from his hold and the dance floor.

"Just let lose. It doesn't matter if you can't dance. Just go wild and dance whatever crazy dance you know." He continued to grin, pulling her even closer to him.

Ally frowned, finding the offer quite tempting. She almost gave in but, she just couldn't. The guy was a stranger for heaven's sakes! She doubted he even went to the same school as her!

"Sorry." Ally muttered, finally finding enough strength to jerk her arms away from him. "I really don't want to."

After doing so, Ally quickly ran out of the dance floor, finding her shaky feet taking her back again to the kitchen. She sighed a little in relief as she grabbed another red plastic cup, filling it with red punch once again. But, before she could even take a drink from it, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she took a small glance at the person before taking a good look at his features.

Shaggy black hair, forest-green eyes; she never thought she'd ever one day succumbed to the dreadful effects of alcohol to ever think a guy like Zach — Austin's friend nonetheless — could ever look so damn good.

"Hey there Goodie-Two-Shoes Dawson." He smirked, no trace of being drunk or slurred speech evident in his voice.

"You." She spoke with venom, remembering that time at Tuesday in which he had called her Austin's new 'target on lock'.

"Whoa. What's got you so riled up?" He asked with a raised and amused eyebrow as he put his hand up in defense.

"Don't call me a goodie-two-shoes!" She snapped at him, the sight of the boy mixed with the hot run of alcohol boiling inside her blood setting a fiery and angry spark to her mood.

"Ohright." He chuckled, taking her cup of punch from her before drinking it.

"Hey! That's mine!" She whined, stomping her left foot onto the ground as she angrily folded her arms.

"Whatever." He muttered, rolling his forest-green eyes, still drinking away from his — well, technically it's Ally's — cup. "And I wouldn't call you a goodie-two-shoes if you weren't one. But, you are."

"I am not!" She growled at him, taking another plastic cup as she filled it once again with red punch. She then started to drink from it when Zach decided to speak again.

"Pft. If you're gonna drink that much spiked punch, you might as well just get yourself a bottle of Vodka." He grinned cheekily at Ally, smirking smugly as he saw her brown eyes go wide.

"Wh—what?" She asked, practically screaming as she spat out her drink. "This is spiked?"

"Na duh." He laughed dryly, his tone oozing in mockery and sarcasm.

"So, there's alcohol in this?" She whispered a bit, dropping the cup as the red punch spilled all over the carpeted floor.

"Of course. What's a high school party without it?" He smirked, walking away as he made his way to the fridge, Ally feeling inclined to follow him.

Opening the fridge, he grabbed two bottles of Jack Daniels before closing it and turning around. He smirked a little as Ally raised a confused eyebrow at him. He then took three steps forward before throwing one of the bottles to Ally, surprising the brunette as she clumsily struggled to catch it. Upon finally having it held safely in her hands, she gave a stony hard glare at Zach.

"You want me to stop calling you a goodie-two-shoes?" He asked in a mockingly daring tone. "Fine then."

"What?" She asked, quite surprised as she took a small step back.

"I'll stop calling you goodie-two-shoes if..." He trailed off, his forest-green eyes gleaming with a challenging spark in them. "If you drink that, I'll stop."

"What?" She stammered, staring down at the bottle she held. "Jack Daniels? Isn't this really strong liquor?"

"It is but, if you want me — no, if you want everyone — to stop you calling a goodie-two-shoes, listen to me and everybody else that's told you this: let loose and fucking have fun." He started walking towards her, leaning down on her the minute he was only a step away. He brought his lips down to her ear, whispering, "Get drunk and have fun."

"I—I—I can't." Ally took a few steps back but Zach had grabbed her by the wrist, his hold on her tight.

"Try it Ally. No guy would ever go for a fun-killing, boring goodie-two-shoes like you." He smirked as she frowned slightly, finding that his words deemed to be true.

"No." She whispered but her voice clearly showed that she was slowly giving in; slowly succumbing into his temptation.

_Just one more little push._

"Pft. I know you want guys like Austin and me to be all over you." He whispered in a husky tone, his grip on her tightening as he used one hand to brush a strand of hair that had fallen to her face away. "If you become like the fun-loving girl that we desire, you might even end up being our target on lock."

Just the mention of Austin's name was enough to push her over the edge. The thought of him possibly wanting her raced through her mind as she quickly pushed Zach away to pop open the bottle of Jack Daniels, taking in the alcoholic substance with one big giant chug. Zach smirked at the sidelines, his eyes gleaming in excitement and amusement as one thing ran through his mind.

_Ally Dawson drunk? Let the party begin indeed._

In one swift move, after Ally had finish swallowing all the contents of the bottle, Zach had grabbed her by the hand and threw her onto the dance floor as the brunette girl let the alcohol that surged through her veins, the music that blasted loudly into her ear, the wild dancing crowd that swayed her side to side take her away to another state of mind, making her forget all the worries and let the crazy shit go.

_:::_

Austin came in through the back gate of the Carter mansion, grunting as he trudged pass their grassy lawn. Behind him was Dez who was busy texting away on his phone while his blonde friend briskly walked towards the back door.

"Why are in such a hurry to get there anyway?" His red-haired friend asked, looking up from his phone to see tense back of his best friend.

"I gotta get there before Ally does something stupid like drink or something." He muttered, kicking the back door open, revealing to him the sight of wasted sophomores and juniors who have all passed out in the conservatory. "Fuck, this party is wild."

"Why do you care so much about her anyway?" Dez asked, peeking curiously over at his friend as he gently pocketed his phone.

"I just do okay!" Austin exclaimed out a sigh in frustration as he ran his hand through his hair. "She's important to me 'coz she's my...friend."

"Friend?" Dez asked incredulously, raising a questioning eyebrow at his friend. "Dude, promising to the girl that you'll never drink again — something you find is essential to your life — is not just something you'd do for a friend."

"Whatever!" Austin yelled as he kicked the unconscious bodies out of his way to get to the kitchen door. "Whatever she is to me, friend, buddy, a crush, some random girl I have to save a billion and one times; she's important to me!"

"Quite ironic how you've only met her about less than a week ago." Dez muttered, obediently following behind Austin.

"Please Dez!" Austin turned around, glaring hard at his best friend. "You're my best friend! I want you to understand that she's not just like those girls I dated or one of those girls I've randomly picked up to make-out with! This is the first girl ever in my whole life who's just willing to be friends with me with no exchange for anything and that makes me feel happy!"

"Austin..." Dez sighed, looking down at the ground in shame. He never really did try to understand his best friend. "Sorry."

"It's okay." The blonde-haired boy softly muttered, finally getting to the clear glass door of the conservatory that lead to the kitchen. "Let's go."

Roughly opening the door, Austin marched in through the kitchen, rolling his eyes at the sight of even more passed out and wasted people lying about. There were empty bottles of alcoholic drinks littered all over the floor and the bowl of spiked punch seemed to almost be done. There were also broken glasses everywhere and the food had been barely touched. He could already hear the loud music that blared through the speakers in the living room as the sounds of drunk and screaming people accompanied in with it as well.

"How the fuck am I gonna find Ally in this shit?" Austin practically screamed as Dez walked over to the fridge, opening it to grab two cans of coke.

"Here." Dez said, tossing one can over to Austin who had effortlessly caught it. "We'll need a bit of energy and, it's a nice change."

"Thanks." Austin slightly flashed a grateful smiled over to his best friend, wondering to himself whatever would he do without him. "You're the best."

Rolling his eyes — yet nodding nonetheless — Dez pushed Austin out of the kitchen as both boys stumbled into the living room, finding it not in any better shape as the kitchen.

Plastic cups, broken glass, empty bottles and squashed up cans lay all over the place along with the wasted and passed-out people. The music was louder than ever and the blinding flash of colorful disco lights surrounded the whole area. Screams were heard everywhere as those who haven't tired out yet danced and danced the night away.

Austin groaned loudly as Dez started his search through the dancing crowd for that Ally Dawson girl.

Making his way around the perimeter of the dance floor, Austin eyed carefully the movements of those dancing, trying to catch the slightest sight of the brown-haired innocent little girl. Much to his dismay, that tactic did not work as well as he'd hope 'coz of the fact that everyone had all huddled up too close together and lack of proper lighting disabled him to properly see the features of those he saw.

He shook his head, making his way in through the dancing crowd but, before he could completely get drowned into it, he heard two all too familiar voices that made his ears perk up and his blood boil in anger.

"I don't wanna dance anymore! I'm gonna throw up!" A girl's slurred voice whined.

"Aw, come on baby and dance with me." Another slurred voice — this time, a boy's — growled.

Austin turned around as he saw Ally trying to pull away from a boy who — just by the sound of his voice — he knew was none other than his extreme alcoholic friend, Zachary Chester Carlton.

Growling to himself, Austin pulled up his hood to hide his face as he made his way over to the arguing couple. He grabbed an empty bottle of WKD on his way, just in the case of maybe needing it for later as he confronts his drunk friend.

"Don't you call me baby!" Ally slurred out, as she hobbled out of the way, trying to pry Zach's hold off her.

"But you're my baby." Zach grinned wide as he tightened his grip on Ally's wrist.

"Get your hands the hell off me!" Ally shouted, her voice sounding more desperate than drunk as beads of sweat started to roll down her forehead.

"Fuck y—" Zach started to curse at her but was cut off when a hooded boy pulled Ally away from his hold.

Falling back a bit, Ally staggered into the arms of the boy as he pushed Ally back to behind him, coming face-to-face with the drunk Zach.

"The fuck is your problem man?" Zach asked, growling as he took a step closer towards the other boy.

Austin didn't say anything, in fear of the fact that Zach might recognize his voice since, even with the fact that Zach may be drunk, he's not _that_ stupid. Instead, he just stood there in his enigmatic silence, holding Ally back as she tried to steady herself behind him.

"Give me back that slut you wannabe-Superman!" Zach yelled as he tried to throw a punch at Austin.

_Fuck sake. The next person who calls me Superman, I'm actually gonna end up murdering! And Zach would fucking know better than to call me that! Well, it's not like he knows it's me but, still!_

Ducking, Austin pulled Ally down to the floor with him as he elbowed Zach on the stomach, muttering, "That's for calling me Superman." He then stood up, his hood falling off, causing Ally to widen her eyes as she now can clearly see who her savior was. Taking the empty bottle of WKD, he hit Zach in the head with it before the boy could open his eyes and recognize him. He growled while doing so, saying, "And that's for calling Ally a slut."

After making sure that Zach was fully unconscious, Austin took Ally by the hand and dragged her out of the mansion, spotting Dez by the door as they approached it. He smiled a little at his red-haired friend who held the door open for them.

"Thanks dude." He muttered over to Dez in a very grateful tone as the red-head only nodded, shooing Austin and Ally out of the house while following closely behind.

"No problem." Dez said, shrugging casually, walking away from Austin and Ally, over to where he had parked the car. "I'll go start the car while you help her throw up."

Austin nodded, watching his friend's back disappear at the night's blind darkness before turning back to look at Ally who was now bending down and throwing up, trying to get the alcohol out of her system. He walked towards her, grabbing her hair and pulling it up so that it doesn't get caught with any puke.

"Thanks." She muttered as soon as she was finished. She straightened up and started to walk away to follow Dez, only to end up nearly falling as she stumbled over her feet a bit.

Austin smirked, raising an amused eyebrow as he went over to her and helped her balance herself.

"God Ally." He muttered as he shouldered her arms to help her walk. "When you get drunk, you go all out."

"Whatever." Ally mumbled, not feeling so well or herself — for that matter of fact. "I'm never drinking again."

"The irony." He whispered into her ear as she shifted her weight into him, leaning her head onto his chest. "The girl that made me swear not to drink is here drunk and needing my help."

Ignoring what he just said, Ally stopped dead on her tracks, causing Austin to stop as well.

"I thought you hated me." She whispered lowly, a hint of growl was evident in her voice as he looked down at her in confusion.

"What?" He asked, tilting his head a bit to the side in confusion.

"You didn't talk to me after Tuesday, even when I tried to start a conversation. And you never even say a 'hi' to me!" She yelled out as she pushed him away, causing her stumble back a bit. "You hurt me you bastard! You made me think I did something wrong and made me go all depress! You made me go so depressed that it tempted me to go to this damn party and drink just to forget about how depress you've made me!"

Austin was a little bit at loss for words as he stared at Ally who continually stood there in front of him, glaring at him. Her eyes glistened with tears that threatened to fall, her cheeks were red with blushing anger and her lips were curved in an angry frown. She had her hand balled into a tight fist and her feet were on the verge of giving away. All in all, she looked like a right mess and it was all because of him.

"Ally I'm—" He tried to explain but she cut him off as she fell to the ground, crying out loud. He was sort of — kind of — thankful for that since he really didn't know what else he could've said after anyway.

_I can't believe I sneaked out, drank, disobeyed my father's rules and completely ignored my morals all because of this stupid boy!_

"I hate you." She choked out between her sobs as Austin sighed out loud, slowly walking towards her.

_I was so fucking scared of facing her after breaking that promise that I didn't even realize I was hurting her in the process! God Austin!_

He knelt down beside Ally as he enveloped her into a tight hug, her head leaning onto his well-toned chest as his hand soothingly rubbed her back. His free hand carefully ran through her hair as he bent down a bit, his lips nearly touching her ears as he whispered repeats of 'I'm sorry' and 'If you just knew, you'd understand'.

She continued to cry onto his chest, his words and actions only adding more to the damage as he slowly took off his hoodie and wrapped it around her. Hugging her tight, he pulled her back up to her feet as she just stiffly let him take her.

"I'm really sorry Ally but..." He trailed off, looking down at the ground as he took small steps towards Dez' car while still having a tight hold on her. "If you knew why I did what I did, you'd hate me even more."

Ally was about to speak in protest but he suddenly cut her off, just before she could utter out any words. In one quick second, he leaned down to kiss her soft lips, rendering her speechless. He then ended it quick as she was left to stare wide-eyed at him.

"You won't remember this tomorrow morning." He whispered to her as he lifted his lips up to kiss the top of her forehead. "But I wish you would anyway."

Closing her eyes, Ally let herself slowly drift off to sleep as she felt herself relax into Austin's arms. But she wasn't gonna complain at all anymore. Rather, she quite loved the way he held her and she made sure to note to herself to remember that sweet and quick kiss of his on both the lips and the forehead.

_This is not how friends are suppose to be._

She thought that to herself and so did he. But, they both already knew right from the start that that wasn't all they were ever going to be. Because even with the fact that he's always been some sort of a playboy and that she's always been some sort of a goodie-two-shoes, it's okay. 'Coz it's her and it's him and somehow, they will still fit to be the perfect two.

_:::_

"Hey Austin." Ally asked, quite a little bit out of it as Austin silently carried her in his arms to her house.

"Hm?" He asked, looking down at the girl he held, smiling a bit as he saw her peaceful and relaxed sleepy face.

"Is being a goodie-two-shoes bad to you?" She asked poking one eye open to see his reaction.

Shaking his head, Austin smiled slightly and said, "No."

"Really?" She smiled a bit at him as he chuckled to himself.

"Yeah. It's cute." He grinned wide as she just rolled her eyes before closing them once again.

"Thanks, friend." She muttered in sarcasm, slowly drifting back to sleep.

"Anything for you, friend." He mumbled, knowing she won't hear it but, it's okay. 'Coz really, he intends to be more than friends someday anyway.

* * *

**-x-**

* * *

**IMPORTANT!**

Just a little information about the alcoholic drinks that you've encountered. First of all, in the first chapter, Austin drank Breezer & WKD which only has about 4% - 5% alcohol content in it. It's not really usually enough to make you go drunk but since he's drank bottles and bottles of it, he went a little bit crazy. Vodka on the other hand has 37% - 40% alcohol content which is actually quite a lot. This is why his reaction to it on the 4th chapter was quite extreme. &+ also remember that he drank 5 bottles of Breezer before drinking 3 bottles of Vodka (wow, I'm really killing him o.o) so you can now see why he was more erm, violent the second time around. & also, he mentioned something about Red Bull which, although doesn't have any alcohol in it (not anymore anyways) it has very high sugar & caffeine levels in it. That's kind of why Austin preferred having Red Bull 'coz it would've given him enough energy to fight off the guy & stuff. Now, why Austin doesn't remember what happened between him & Ally in the first chapter won't be revealed 'til later on so... But Austin does remember the events that happened on the beach, just so you know. Oh, & btw, the Smirnoff Black Ice that Ally drinks this chapter only has 7% alcohol content in it & the Jack Daniels (this one's really extreme) she & Zach drank has about 47% - 50% alcohol content in it which you can already tell is quite a lot. But, Ally only drank one bottle of it and a bottle of Smirnoff Black Ice which is way less than what Zach drank (it's not mentioned in the fic but in my mind he drank about three bottles of JD, a bottle of Vodka & a couple of bottles of WKD). Now, don't ask me how I know all these. I did my research ^^ Hehehe, I knew the names of the drinks but I wasn't too sure about their alcohol content (except for Breezer & WKD). I don't drink, just so you know. I know all these because of the people in my school & some of my friends whose got some alcoholic dads. I just want to clear that up. Anyway, this chapter turned out a little more intense than intended o.o Dez finally got a part which may be not much but, his argument with Austin really adds to the drama XD & my God, you guys are amazing, really! 66reviews for that last chapter! I am at awe & I am so ecstatic :') Thank you so much guys ;* Imagine that, the worst chapter I've ever written got the most reviews... Thank you :') You've really boosted up my confidence ^^ Ha, because of that, I'll let you guys in on a little secret; when I grow up, I wanna be a journalist & make it big in America :') That's the dream & this is my stepping stone ^^ Now, enough about that. I was gonna make this the last chapter (awwwww) but I decided not to punish such great readers ^^ It's mostly 'coz the ending of this chapter sounded like the perfect way to end the story but I still have a few plots up my sleeve so I won't be going anywhere for awhile... I'll try to update next week but I can never guarantee that since next week's gonna be hectic. I've got two GCSEs (it doesn't sound much but trust me, it's a lot; specially 'coz it's Sicence & Math) to revise for & all that crazy stuff that you don't really care about :L So, erm, roll on the motivation & please review? I'd like to get 90reviews before the 6th chapter & knowing you guys, I know we can do it ^^ So, please, review & keep me motivated? Thank you ;* I know this chapter isn't as long as the last one but I'm pretty sure it's more well-written ^^ Anyway, gaaaaah! I need to stop rambling! So, erm, bye & read & review please! & oh, new episodes of A&A stopped airing here today & I was so heartbroken 'coz I was so looking forward to the new episode of A&A :'( Oh well... I gotta go now, so erm REVIEWS please ^^


	6. Chapter Six – Her Getting to Know Him

**Like a Playboy**

_Chapter Six – Her Getting to Know Him_

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**-x-**

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**Summary: **He's always been some sort of a playboy & she's always been some sort of a goody-two-shoes. But it's okay 'coz it's her & it's him & somehow, they still fit to be the perfect two. Austin&Ally. Auslly. AU.

**Rating: **Rated T for strong language & drunk scenes :)

**Inspiration: **Well, it's a cliché idea but, I've wanted to put Austin into that playboy kind of character for awhile now but, I just really hadn't conjured up a good plot for a fic so, I didn't. But after a little incident down town with my friends, I finally got it! & well, here's what came out of it :P

**A/N: **There's only quite a few things you need to know about this chapter. One, it's inspired by the song 'All About the Girl' by R5 & two, it's gonna mostly contain Auslly fluff(ish) & friendship :) & forgive me for not updating sooner! I promise to update again this Friday or Saturday :) 'Kay, thanks, bye! Oh, & enjoy the fic :) & dedicated to my idol Auslly writers KairiR5 & a cold day in december :') & to all my lovely reviewers ;* I must say, this may be the best chapter I've written so far :')

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Austin&Ally & I never will but one of these days, I'll meet Ross Lynch & Laura Marano in person :')

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**-x-**

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_Ripped jeans and chrome chain necklaces  
__High tops and matching blue shoelaces  
Letterman jackets and basketball jerseys  
Kind eyes and hair so perfectly messy_

Ally's brown eyes sparked with inspiration as she read over the lyrics she'd written on her little brown book while her slim and delicate fingers gently traced the worn out leather covering of it. A smile played silently on her lips as she tucked a strand of falling hair behind her ear, her mind overflowing with wonderful lyrical phrases.

_Vintage accessories and pastel dresses  
Denim waistcoats and floral blouses  
Sandals, high heels and brown boots  
A thin frame sporting cute little playsuits_

She wondered where the new source of sudden creativity came from but then she remembered of her drunk Friday night and she couldn't help but giggle to herself as she thought of Austin Moon.

Austin Moon who liked to wear those ripped jeans and those various chrome chain necklaces and high tops with matching shoe laces. She thought of the times over the week how she'd seen him in various styles of clothing like his Letterman Jacket — courtesy of the fact that he had been in the football team last year — and that new basketball jersey he had gotten — due to him joining the basketball team this year. Her mind also wandered off to the way his bleached-blonde hair sat perfectly messy, sometimes covering those wonderful brown eyes of his.

She shook her head, her smile slowly faltering as she thought of having that small little crush on him. After all, he is Austin Moon — alpha-male playboy of Miami High — and being Austin Moon means he could have any girl he wanted so, why should he settle for her, Ally Dawson?

Ally Dawson with her pastel dresses and floral blouses that only she seemed to ever wear. Little ol' Allyster Marie Dawson with those cute little playsuits and denim waistcoats which even she can't remember where and when she got. Ally with the obsession for converse and high-heeled boots that matched her vintage jewelry. Her, Ally Dawson who was stick thin with plain brown hair and ordinary brown eyes.

The difference was evident and, sad to say, it was a clear barrier between the two of them. She was the goodie-two-shoes of Miami High — even more of a goodie-two-shoes than the first years that had just started — while he was the ultimate bad boy and playboy. He exceeded in sports while she specialized in written academics. He liked pancakes — which she discovered after catching sight of him devouring some at the breakfast club up at the Miami Mall foodcourt — while she liked pickles. It was clear as day that Austin M. Moon and Allyster Marie Dawson, were total and complete polar opposites.

_He parties wild, gets drunk and is so fly  
She's grounded, quiet in silence and so shy  
He's swagger, conceit and confidence  
She lives in a world of morals and perfect sense_

As far as knowing him goes, that's all she actually knew about him. She only knows the basics of the outer façade that he likes to put up but, she doesn't really know Austin — Austin M. Moon — as the guy beneath all the drunken antics and the playboy bad boy attitude.

She knows about his over exaggerated ego — which she thinks is just another one of his masks — and his crazy wild partying but, things like how he got into the top class, why he's never had any proper 'girl friends' before her, the kind of music he listens to or why he had so much loathing for Superman — she doesn't know.

It was all such a mystery. He — as an open book he may seem — was actually quite an enigmatic and mysterious little fellow.

She doesn't know why his eyes didn't seem to spark like the first time they met, she didn't know why he doesn't remember her that carnival day and she also doesn't even know if he kept his promise to her! She had so many questions that are left unanswered and she clearly couldn't take it no more!

_I need to get to know him! It's been one week and if I'm really gonna be his friend then I might as well!_

She looked down on her book, her brown eyes gleaming bright with the fire of determination as she scanned over her lyrics once again, a light bulb suddenly flicking on inside her head. She grinned, finding the perfect excuse to get to know him as she slammed the book close before grabbing it and strolling out of the room happily with it held closely against her chest.

Humming to herself the perfect tune that goes with the lyrics, she smiled devilishly, a skip in every step she took as she felt slight excitement on the day she has planned; a day out with Austin.

_:::_

She had called him an hour or so ago to meet her up at the foodcourt but there really was no guarantee that he'd show up so, why did she lead herself to believe that he would? Maybe it was because even when she didn't expect him to be there, he'd be there.

Like the first time they met or when she was working her shift at the Sonic Boom or when her father was drunk or like when he saved her that drunken night she had.

It just seemed like if he was there at all those unexpected times, somehow saving her butt every single one of those times, he'd be there when she asked him to. But clearly, that wasn't the case.

She sighed deeply, suddenly feeling all bitter and gloomy as she played with the chopped pickles in front of her. She almost wanted to cry at the fact that his absence was affecting her appetite 'coz, if you knew Ally Dawson, you'd know that pickles could actually do wonders to her mood. Frowning, she shook her head, muttering curses of Austin being probably busy, away on some date or on a make-out spree with another one of those sluts.

_Seriously, I need to stop cursing!_

Grunting in frustration, she stood up and marched over to the trashcan, throwing away her plate of chopped pickles. She slammed her tray down onto one of the tables beside it before deciding to turn back around to head to the Sonic Boom — to get back the shift she had requested off — but, before she could completely do so, something caught her eye. Something that instantly made her heart skip a beat.

Right there at the corner of the food court, right beneath the mall jumbotron, was the brown eyed brunette boy with that contagious and charming smile that she knew all so well — and loved — working at the cellphone accessory cart.

Smiling one huge dopey smile to herself, she let her two left drag her over to where he stood, clumsily stumbling and tripping as she made her way over to him. He looked up, a small smile curving it's way to his lips as he gave off a slight wave over to her which she returned with a huge grin and blushing red cheeks.

"Hey Ally!" He beamed at her as she finally got to him.

"He—hey Dallas!" She stuttered a bit, her cheeks glowing crimson red.

"Nice seeing you here." His smile turned into a very satisfied grin as she blushed tenfold.

"You too! I see you work at the cellphone accessory cart, don't you? If not, why else would you be standing here, right beside the cellphone accessory cart? Well, I don't work at the cellphone accessory cart but here, I am standing right beside it so maybe you don't really work at the cellphone accessory cart and you're just standing right beside it like I am. 'Coz really, I don't work at the cellphone accessory cart. But, you must have to have a reason to be here beside the cellphone accessory cart, don't you? Like, you're standing here beside the cellphone accessory cart 'coz of something like the way I'm standing over here 'coz I came to talk to you and..." She tried to speak out but her tongue seemed to have a mind of it's own as it let her roll on with a long and pointless ramble.

_Oh my God! I'm rambling! Ally, shut up!_

Dallas grinned in amusement as he politely let Ally talk on, not having the heart to interrupt her. After all, he did find it cute anyway.

So when Ally finally noticed his intent attention to whatever the hell she was on about, she stopped talking instantly and bowed her head in shame and embarrassment.

"I am so sorry!" She whispered, earning a small chuckle from him.

"It's okay!" He said, slowly lifting her chin up, causing her to lock her brown eyes with his gorgeous and kind ones. "I quite enjoyed your little speech."

"Ahahahahaha!" Ally nervously forced out a laugh as she threw her head back in an exaggerated manner, her cheeks reddening even more by the minute. "You are so funny!"

_What the heck was so funny about what he said?_

Ally was screaming in her mind to stop while she was ahead because, clearly, she just seemed to be making the situation worse. But, the brunette boy seemed to think otherwise. Actually, he found her nervous antics quite adorable really.

Unexpectedly, he leaned down a bit so that his lips were only literally millimeters away from Ally's ear as he whispered down in a husky tone to her, saying, "You, Ally Dawson, are one cute girl."

The reaction her body had to what he had said was instant, overly cliché and extreme. Right there at that one spot, she had felt all kinds of electricity shoot through her body as a million and one butterflies fluttered inside her stomach. The heat within her cheeks rapidly rose and her teeth had somehow unconsciously found comfort in chewing at her bottom lip. She felt her legs go weak and her eyes widen in surprise and all of a sudden, her mind went completely blank.

"Ally?" A sudden call of a familiar boy's voice brought her back to her senses as she snapped out of her little daze.

She turned around to come face the sight of Austin breathing heavily, trying to grasp for air as he leaned his head down, bending his knees. Sweat dripped down from his forehead as his eyes glistened in a little bit of a green spark. Why though, she did not know.

_Aren't his eyes brown?_

"Austin." She muttered unconsciously, completely forgetting Dallas who stood behind her, raising a bemused eyebrow at the blonde-haired boy.

"Tch. Dallas." Austin growled, catching sight of the brunette boy who just awkwardly tilted his head a bit as he started to scratch the back of his neck.

"Hey Austin." He muttered, his tone tinging itself with a bit of disdain.

Ally suddenly snapped her gaze away from Austin as she turned her focus back to Dallas who, just a few minutes ago, was the cause of her sudden heart race. She smiled apologetically at the brown haired boy before mouthing a quick 'Sorry' to him as she grabbed Austin's wrist before dragging him away.

Dallas just smiled in understanding at the brunette girl, mouthing back an 'It's cool' over to her before he turned his attention back to his cellphone accessory cart, going about with his business once again.

_:::_

Austin kind of thinks Ally might just be a little bit mad at him for ruining her moment with Dallas. But really, when did he ever care about such trivial things anyway? Ally on the other hand didn't seem to mind much at all and the truth of the matter is, the way their roles have been reversed — in which this time, she has the satisfaction of getting to keep a hold of his wrist — made her feel as if the barrier between them had slowly started to break.

(Maybe it's just because she kind of thinks that if they were back to the first day of school, he'd probably never let a girl — much less, her — take control over him.)

So the minute they reached Sonic Boom, Austin didn't dare question her — in fear of her potential wrath 'coz he still think she's a little bit more than mad — and she didn't even dare to wonder why he was late. They just went in, past the counter and up to Ally's sacred — something only Trish ever called it — practice room.

"We're here." Ally said blissfully, the small and genuine smile she had on surprising Austin a bit.

"You're not mad?" He asked, his jaw hanging a little loose as she just chuckled a little in response, shrugging off the question.

"Not really." She mutters, sitting down on the piano bench as she patted the little space beside her in gesture for him to come sit.

"Oh, that's good then!" He grins wide, his pearly whites almost slightly blinding her. She rolls her eyes at his boyish attitude as he continued on to speak with a curious voice, saying, "But, why are we here?"

"This is my practice room." She simply says, gently fingering the white keys of the piano before them. "It's a special place to me."

"But that doesn't really answer my question." He insisted in a whining tone, making Ally take a short glance at him before rolling her eyes.

_It makes me wonder how he can still so easily pull off that playboy façade of his without having his childish personality get in the way..._

"I know." She sighed deeply, really not knowing what else to say to him.

In all honesty, she really did not know why she brought him here of all places. She can kind of guesses it's because this practice room was her sanctuary and that being here with him would make the place just a little bit more special than it was before but, she also thinks she did it out of instinct and habit.

She never really planned this whole day through. Yes, she wanted to hang out and get to know him and yes, she plans on writing a song about him but, beyond those two, she never really thought about it. She might've planned to just go with the flow but even she knows that never really works — mostly because she thinks only dead fishes ever go with the flow.

So, being quite unprepared and desperate for something to do, she did the first thing that came to her mind and it — another action out of instinct — was something she never ever expected to ever do in front of him; ever. She sang.

"_Make me smile today 'coz I know you'll always be here to stay..._" She started off singing the lyrics before her fingers began to play the soft and whimsical tune on the piano.

He smiled, feeling just a little bit of heaven when he heard her voice. He had guessed she was a bit musically inclined, seeing as she worked in a place filled with so much instruments but, he hadn't really pegged her to be one for a singer and neither did he ever think she could play the piano — an instrument made by the Gods, his dad would have used to say.

"_Don't let me cry tonight and just come and hold me tight..._" She continued on to sing, never stopping as her eyes closed out of habit. She wonders why, for some reason, despite her strong — and disastrous — stage fright, she felt okay singing to him.

_Maybe it's 'coz he's Austin Moon... Well, if that makes sense._

"_And when things go wrong I know you're here, staying by my side to wipe them tears..._" Her voice was soft and it was laced with pure melodious passion as she slowly and skillfully played each note coordinating with the lyrics she sang.

He sat there, smiling in awe and staring at her in pure admiration. This makes him think to himself how much more amazing this Ally Dawson — little old Allyster Marie Dawson who he did not know existed until just a few days ago — could get.

He silently started to think over to himself all the wonderful qualities she had possessed that didn't take him too long to notice. Her lovely wave of curly brown hair, mesmerizing brown eyes filled with so much innocence and her lovely, frail and slim figure which he thinks fits the simple floral fashion she likes to wear. He thought of how emotionally cliché she seemed and how much of a nerd she seemed to be — catching her copy every single note that teachers give out — and it somehow made his heart beat all too quickly.

_How can one girl who I've only known for less than week make me feel so...giddy? Eurgh._

He would've scowled but, the way she kept on playing with that dopey smile on and her closed eyes made it a little bit hard for him to. And somehow, he doesn't mind that he's feeling a little bit giddy — although, he may have to rethink about it later on just to make sure because really, he's still pretty sure he's a boy.

"_'Coz even when it's all so done and gone, I know you'll never leave me alone._" She finished off with a little hum, her thumb holding the high c note a little bit longer. She removed her hands away from the keys as she stared up at him for approval.

Still in a little bit of a daydream, he just continued to stare down at her with that look of absence flickering through his eyes. His lack of response worried her a bit as she nervously began to chew her bottom lip, her pupils dilating a bit in worry and curiosity.

"Austin?" She called out to him, immediately snapping him out of his reverie. His eyes grew a little bit wider but he instantly regained his composure back before turning away to hide his blushing cheeks.

"You're good." He muttered, quite unsure if she heard but by the sound of her relieved sigh, he's guessing she did.

"Thank you." She humbly and shyly whispered as she looked down on the now seemingly interesting ground.

"What song was that?" He asked, turning back to look at her as his cheeks had started to be rid of the redness in them. He smiled a little as she saw her adorable and bashful display.

"It's called 'Smile'." She says, looking up at him with her eyes shining a little. Her chocolate brown eyes gazed up at his as she saw the spark he had the first time they met, finally coming back. She grinned at that.

"By who?" He asked curiously, not seeming to find any song that matched come to his mind.

"Actually, I wrote it." She says, quite shyly as she looked back down on the ground again.

That simple sentence, that simple action and that simple and shy way she had said that made Austin like Ally ten million times more than he already had. And with a wide grin, he leaned in a bit to her with a genuinely kind smile before speaking.

"You just keep getting cuter by the day, Ally Dawson." He said, his eyes gleaming with genuine warmth and a little hint of mischief, making Ally's heart race and her cheeks heat up.

She stares at him for a moment, her cheeks growing hotter in red with each second that passes by. Her throat's a little bit dry and her mind had gone blank on her. Her stomach was feeling like as if some sort of dynamite has exploded within it and she kind of starts to wonder how Dallas and Austin could have such a huge effect on her.

"Thanks." She smiles genuinely, surprising herself when she didn't stutter. "And you're not so not adorable at all either."

He grinned wide — there's a little bit of a smirk behind it but he tried to conceal it, not wanting to ruin the moment — as he affectionately ruffled her hair before he brought his hands up to play the piano.

He starts to play the same tune she had been playing, thinking to himself of how incredibly talented she was for such a shy girl. And for a split second, he wonders why he's been so lucky enough to meet her.

(She also kinds of wonders that herself.)

"I've been writing a song about you." She confesses, a little bit too confidently. The sudden call made him stop playing as he instantly turned to look at her. "It's no love song or anything..." She bites her bottom lip, trailing off the sentence as she tried to find the right words to say. "It's just, the way we're friends yet we're so different... It's a little bit more of an inspiration, really."

"Can I hear it?" He asks, not even bothering to question the status of the song for he wouldn't mind — not one bit at all — if it did turn out to be a love song.

"When it's done." She smiles up at him before grabbing her book from the top of the piano. "But, I'm gonna have to get to know you better first."

"Whaddaya mean?" He said, irking her a bit at his lack of proper diction.

"I mean, if I'm gonna finish the song, I'm gonna need to learn just a little bit more about you." She said, sighing as she flipped open her book to the page she had written down the first few lyrics at.

"Well, what have you got so far?" He asked, curiously trying to take a peek at the book but she held it up close to her face, obstructing his view of it.

"You'll hear it when it's done." She muttered, her eyes reading the lyrics she's written, trying to find any changes she might make.

"Okay." He rolled his eyes at her secretive attitude while shrugging his shoulders casually. "But, can I sing it?"

She snaps the book close as she turned to look at him with wide eyes, her mouth gaping a little bit as she saw that he looked more serious than ever. What he had just said kept ringing inside her ear and she's left to wonder if that's just how big of an effect he has on her.

"Are you serious?" She asks him, quite bewildered.

"Yeah." He grinned at her, not even trying to hide the smirk behind it as his eyes gleamed with mischief. "If you're gonna write a song about — oh wait, no; inspired by — me, you could at least give me the honor singing it."

Ally thought about it for a moment, debating over to herself whether she should give in to his rather bold offer or just plain out reject it. She didn't really want to let him down but she was hoping to just find self-pleasure within the song. Although, Austin singing it wouldn't seem so bad since it meant that she wouldn't have to sing in front of him again.

"Okay." She decided, nodding her head as his grin went doubly wide.

Austin jumped up in excitement, starting to dance around the room as Ally giggled and rolled her eyes playfully at his childish behavior. She smiles a little to herself when she sees him dance; the graceful and skillful way his feet would smoothly glide against the floor of her practice room. She wishes she could dance like that.

_If I could, I'd probably make it to the cheerleading squad..._

Her thoughts were suddenly disrupted by him suddenly pulling her from her seat at the piano bench — the way he held her wrist completely brought them back to square one — as he started to twirl her around while she clumsily tried to follow his dance routine. He laughed a little as he saw her stumbling and falling, desperately trying her best to dance like him. His eyebrow raised a bit in amusement.

She looked up at him, her cheeks growing even more redder than ever as she saw the amused flicker in his eyes. She didn't mean to embarrass herself but, she did. And God, did she feel like an idiot or what?

But, the sudden smile tugging at his lips made her feel okay about it since she's already done so much more embarrassing things in front of him before — heck, he's even seen her cry and go totally drunk before! What more is there to hide?

"Ally, your eyes are sparkling." He smiles, his smile a little too broad to be just an ordinary smile and for a second, she completely forgot he just complimented her as fear suddenly came over to her senses.

(And truthfully, the mischievous glint in his eyes didn't make it any better.)

But she snapped away from that thought instantly as she finally got a wave of new lyrics run through her mind.

She lets go of his hand and immediately went back to the piano bench as she started to play the piano, an unfamiliar tune to Austin ringing through the air. She was whispering words that he couldn't decipher as he just stood there, a bit dumbfounded, wondering what else to expect.

She makes up the lyrics in her head as she secretly replayed the scene of them two dancing together once again — it being her source of inspiration.

_It's him with those smiles  
And it's her with them eyes  
It's her with the clumsy dances  
And the stumbling and falling  
It's him and how his eyebrow raises  
And the laughing and grinning_

She stops for a moment, thinking of what else to write as the sudden barrage of lyrics finally came to a halt. She groaned in frustration as she banged her head down onto the keys.

Austin looked at her in more amusement than ever as he silently started to stroll back towards the piano bench. He plopped himself down beside her, back to their original position. She turned her head a little to him, giving him a weak smile.

"I'm not the best songwriter — actually, I'm not a songwriter at all! — but, if you need some help, I can." He says in an unsure tone as he gave her a nervous smile. He then quickly added, "If you want."

"Yeah." The answer she gave off surprised them both — mostly her 'coz she never really thought a day would ever come that she'd be asking anyone (or Austin Moon) for help when it comes to song-writing — as she smiled slightly at him. "I could use some help."

"Okay!" He beamed at her, taking her book from the top of the piano before flicking it open.

"Don't touch my book!" She said, instinctively jerking the book out of his hold before he could even see anything.

"But I'm gonna need to see it to see the lyrics." He said, rolling his eyes at her sudden snap. He knew she was sensitive about that book of hers — really, what was so special about it anyway? — but playing and teasing her was just something he simply could not resist.

"I'll write them down first." She says, taking a blue pen from the top of the piano before quickly scribbling the lyrics down. After doing so, she held the book up, facing Austin to show the lyrics to him.

"That's great!" He exclaimed, quite in awe at her ingenious talent for writing. "You got that from our little dance?"

His tone was laced with a little bit of cheeky amusement and surprise but she nodded nonetheless, his praise a little bit more important than his sarcasm.

"Yup." She grinned, popping the 'p' as she began to chew at her bottom lip.

"You're amazing." He gave her that famously charming smile of his as she felt herself nearly melt at the sight of it.

"Thank you." She shyly mutters, her gaze turning to face down at the ground once again.

_God. This boy probably doesn't know how much he makes me wanna swoon!_

"_It's him and it's her..._" He said, his tone a little bit unsure as she looked up at him, evident confusion written across her eyes. "_...and how they're better together._"

Her eyes widened in surprise as she realized that he had been telling her lyrics she could possibly use. She grinned wide before turning back to the piano, playing on with the tune along with singing the lyrics as he joined in with backing vocals.

Their voices were in perfect harmony as the melody went in complete sync with their singing. She closed her eyes, losing herself for a moment in the heat of the music as he smiled a little at the passion surging through his veins.

Their musical ability had been long hidden from each other since the day they met — which was like less than a week ago — but here they are now, relating to the one thing they've got in common, despite their major differences.

After Ally finished playing up the last note of the song so far, she smiled wide in a giddy manner before throwing herself at Austin, tackling him into an extremely happy hug, causing both of them to fall off the bench to land on the floor — but they both couldn't care less right now — as he just smiled and ruffled her hair with one hand while the other held her securely around the waist.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Ally chanted as she buried her head into his lean and muscular chest, unconsciously taking in that fresh summer breeze of a scent he had.

"It's nothing." He mutters, smiling as well as feeling a bit scared that she might hear the sudden race of his heart. But with all the 'thank you's she's bombarded him with, he doubts she even noticed.

"You're a great inspiration." Her voice was muffled as she whispered it to his chest, silently hoping he doesn't hear. But, he did hear and somehow, he doesn't mind.

(Quite honestly, he kind of liked that she said it — despite that annoying twist in his stomach.)

"I know." He grinned, mostly to himself as she pulled back — her cheeks red from the fact that he'd heard her — rolling her eyes at his conceit. He then grinned wide before leaning in to whisper into her ear, saying, "Anything for you, friend."

"Yes, friend." She smiled, her smile not as genuine but not really fake. Her eyes held a little bit of sadness but it quickly vanished as he pulled her in a bit to kiss her forehead.

"Friend." He muttered after planting in the kiss, grabbing her by the wrist as he pulled her in for another hug.

And at that, Ally wonders if there was any special meaning behind the lyrics he's come up with. After all, he did just indirectly say that him and her — Austin M. Moon and Allyster Marie Dawson — were better together.

(She really wishes by that he means they're better together as more than friends)

_:::_

There was something about Ally Dawson's brown eyes and innocent personality that got Austin wondering. It really made him wonder how such an outstanding and talented girl could've been so hidden from him all this time. He even thinks she's a little bit more than brilliant, probably bordering around crazy amazing.

He thinks her eyes — although seeming so innocent — kind of has a little bit of rebellious spark in them that makes him go crazy with the need to set her wild side free. And he also thinks the way she dresses is the perfect statement of who she is; simple, plain and _beautiful_.

He knows they haven't really known each other for too long — five days really isn't that long of a time — but he somehow knows that there's a huge possibility that he's met her before. Some time, some day, some place; he really doesn't know. But one thing's for sure is that the familiar light of her smile and the pretty way her hair curled wasn't something he's seen for the first time.

So if her getting to know some of his secrets meant that he gets to know just a little bit more of the mystery that Ally Dawson was, hell, he'd take that offer. After all, he was Austin Moon so, what else is there to hide? Everyone _thought_they knew everything about him anyway.

With that thought in mind, he suggested to play twenty questions with her which she eagerly agreed to and so far, he's learned that Ally Dawson was actually quite a comical character behind her mature and goodie-two-shoes front.

He finds it quite amusingly adorable and cute that she chews her hair when she's nervous and he also thinks it's kind of crazy that she's obsessed with eating — of all food in the world, it just had to be this one! — pickles. And he'd probably be deemed a psycho if he ever admits that he kinda likes the way she likes to go cloud-watching — she even has a club for it and now he really starts to wonder if she's sane or just another Dez — on her spare time.

(The girl gets crazier by the minute, he thinks.)

She on the other hand finds his preference to intimate hugging — because while she hands him a hand to shake as a thank you for helping her with the song, he in turn opens his arms for her to dive in and hug him — quite amusing and the way he described the excitement he feels whenever he watches scary movies really adorkable.

(She knows adorkable really isn't a word but it just seemed to fit him — in a crazy messed up way that is.)

He also tells her about how much he loves performing in front of a million people and how he finds the amazing feel of the adrenaline rushing through his veins perfectly thrilling. She in exchange explains to him the fact that even though she has stage fright, somehow, playing, singing and writing to herself for pleasure, gives her such a serene, calming and chilling feeling that she loves so much.

They were both such polar opposites to each other yet, that's what made the lyrics work.

_Scary movies and cloud watching  
Warm bear hugs and hand-shaking  
He's the adrenaline, the rush and the thrill  
She's serenity, so calm and so chill_

She squeals in delight, finding so much satisfaction at the new set of lyrics they've made and he in turn grins goofily at the fact that even though he was a terrible — a very terrible, disastrous, insanely crazy, horrible — songwriter, he still managed to contribute a little more than he'd bargained for. Somehow, she doesn't mind that he's helping her anymore.

So, smiling widely to herself at both their success, Ally turned to face him with gleaming eyes as she congratulated him.

"You're good." She winks at him which he just chuckled at. "As a pianist, a singer and a songwriter."

"Ally, I prefer playing the guitar really, and of course I'm an amazing singer — I'm Austin Moon for Gods sakes — but really, I'm a terrible songwriter." He grins cheekily at her, his eyes glowing in a teasing manner which makes her roll her eyes.

"Way to be humble." She mutters under breath as she began to turn the page of her book to a new page — since the previous one had already been messily filled with so much scribbling, notes, unwanted lyrics and of Austin's doodles out of boredom — before playing the tune on the piano. She speaks to him as she plays, saying, "And Austin, you just helped me write a song there now. You can't be that bad."

"Trust me. I am." He sighs deeply, looking down at the keys of the piano as a moment of deep thinking passed him by. He takes a small glance at her as she hums the lyrics of the song while she plays on before deciding to speak and say, "But I guess you bring out the songwriter in me."

She instantly stops playing, suddenly turning her head to face him, her eyes locking with those brown innocent ones of his for a brief moment — the moment in which she kinda starts to wonder to herself since when did his eyes ever become so tantalizing but then she realizes that that's the spark that's always been hiding within them; the one she always made sure she could see. She could feel her cheeks heat up and her heart start to beat even faster than before and she starts thinking that maybe, if he wasn't such a playboy, she'd probably easily succumbed to the charm that he's already put on her.

"Thanks." She mutters, quickly snapping her gaze away from him, whispering to herself something she half wishes he doesn't hear, saying, "And you make me wanna sing in front of you."

He smiles because he heard but keeps it to himself 'coz he knows she didn't want him to. He's a little bit more than happy to know that even with the fact that she's scared to sing in front of anyone, her stage fright had somehow found for him an exception. Of course, he wasn't complaining at all — he did emphasize the fact that he was _a little bit more than happy_.

Silence swept over them for a few seconds and Ally, not being able to take it any longer, decided to break the quiet barrier. But, what came out of her mouth was unexpected and way beyond her control that before she could do anything to stop it, the words were already out.

"Why do you hate Superman so much?" Her hands quickly slapped over her mouth as she instantly realized what she had just said. She winced a bit as she saw the way his head suddenly snap up to turn and look at her — he too, probably just as surprised as she was.

"What?" The look of shock on his face was all-too-soon replaced with a scowl and she could already tell that by the way he spoke, he was gritting his teeth. "How'd you know that?"

He asked it in such a sharp tone that it made her almost cower before him but, luckily, she was a little more stubborn than that.

"It's just, that boy at the beach and the way you snapped when he mentioned you being Superman..." She trailed off, trying to be careful with what she says as she did not want the whole first time they met incident to slip out. "Why?"

He turned his head away, looking straight at the ground as his lips formed a thin — a very thin and tight — line. He debated over to himself whether to tell her or not but, he already knew the answer. He didn't even have to think twice about it.

"I just do." He says simply, turning to face her, the intensity he previously had on his face slowly fading away. "With no questions asked, I just can't stand the guy. He sickens me."

"But you—" She tries to pry but he doesn't let her, immediately cutting her off.

"Please Ally. Just drop it." His voice was strong and stern, as if almost eager to snap at her but, he didn't wanna scare her anymore than he already has so he tried his best to gain self-control. "Let's just please not talk about this?"

Ally hesitated for a moment but then she slowly nodded her head anyway, seeing that he's having a little bit of a trouble trying to contain himself. She thinks that there's more to it than just that but she'll let it go for now. After all, she can't all know every single thing about him today. Maybe, when he finally decides to trust her, maybe then he'll tell her.

"Okay." She whispers, sighing inwardly as she silently took the book from it's sitting place, scribbling something down on it as her eyes darted over to his back that faced her.

_I wonder if he'll hate me once I tell him I like Superman..._

Trying to test the theory, she clears her throat, making him take a small turn of the head to take a small glance at her. She smiles wearily before she began to speak.

"But, if it's okay with you..." She trails off, staring down at the new lyrics she's come up with, hoping it'll somehow give her a bit of courage to confess to him. "...I kind of like Superman."

She closes her eyes, awaiting for a tongue-lashing from him to begin but, seconds — even possibly minutes — passed and it never came. She carefully peeked one eye open to see him curiously staring at her with a raised eyebrow and an amused look in his eyes. And before she could even say anything, he started to chuckle, confusing Ally even more.

"Ally..." He let out breathlessly as he tried to grasp for air in between his laughs. "Like him if you must."

"But I—" She tried to speak again but he cut her off once again.

"I hate the guy's guts and I can't ever stand being compared to him." He says, his chuckles dying down a bit as his voice started to take a turn for the bitter — no pun intended. He looked her dead in the eye though, his eyes flaming with so much fiery resentment that only frightened and confused Ally even more.

_He's making this too damn complicating! I don't get it!_

"You can admire him as much as you like but, just don't ever compare me to him." He said, his voice letting go of it's bitter tone and replacing it with a little bit of nonchalance.

Ally wanted to ask why. She so badly wanted to ask what was wrong, what made him hate Superman so much and why he was being so sensitive about it. She wanted to but, she couldn't. She was scared of asking him and she was scared of him snapping at her. So, she did the only thing she knew she could do. She smiled and nodded.

"Okay." She said, her smile radiating off a brilliant and warm glow which made his cheeks heat up.

"Good." He nods happily as he turned away from her, trying to conceal that secret blush coming right out of his cheeks.

They stayed silent once again, both of them finding comfort in the soundless air that surrounded them. She continued on to write down on her book as he just sat and stared down at the ground, wondering what else there was to say.

And during the course of the quiet phase they both put themselves in, Austin began to think. He began to think of his one in a bazillion dream of one day becoming a singer, rockin' out in New Year's Eve at Times Square in New York and he also thought of how lucky he is to live in a place like Miami — where everyday felt like summer and the sun was the Earth's best friend. And as he thought of all of this, Ally also started to wonder to herself of her one in a bazillion dream of one day having her songs be heard and praised by everyone and she also wonders what she'll be doing for winter — her favorite season of all with it's chilly air and it's Christmas feel.

And for a moment, as if reading each others minds, Austin and Ally both looked up to smile at each other. His hands were hovering over the keys of the piano with his fingers delicately tracing the feel of it while her left hand held her special book as her right played with the blue pen in between her fingers. He nods a little at her as he began to play on the piano the tune of their song, while she started to immediately — as fast as she possibly could — write down the lyrics that had formed in her mind.

_He's Superman hatin' and she's Superman lovin'  
He's a singer rockin' and she's a writer hidin'  
He's the sun that's shining this summer time  
She's the winter breeze, so perfectly fine_

_:::_

It's a little over five o'clock and the song they've been working for since three or four — she couldn't really tell 'coz that's just how long they've been at it — hours ago was coming along perfectly well. And to Ally, she thought it was quite alright that she's spending this much time writing out the song. After all, she gets to spend more time with Austin anyway.

Austin on the other hand was playfully shaking his head at the lyrics Ally had come up with for him. Although he found it very accurate — and undeniably true — he still couldn't help but feel a tad bit offended at what she had described him as. Though, he agreed nonetheless; just for the sake of the song.

_He plays the girls, gets drunk and is so fly  
She's loveless, quiet in silence and so shy  
He's swagger, conceit and confidence  
She lives in a world of morals and perfect sense_

"I really think you're being quite unfair." He whines a little bit and his tone was evidently joking. "You got drunk too!"

"Yeah, but you not as bad as you." She muttered to herself, rolling her eyes at his childish play.

"How would you know? You've only seen me drunk once..." He asked, his voice laced with a little bit curiosity and worry as he started to think to himself that maybe she'd found out about his multiple drunk nights after his promise to never drink again to her.

Ally inwardly scolded herself for letting that slip as she remembered that he does not know that she's seen him drunk the last day of this year's summer. She started to frantically rack her brain for any other excuse but she found that to no avail.

"I can just tell." She states it simply, trying to avoid the subject. He rolls his eyes at her secretive attitude kicking in again but nods nonetheless, quite thankful that she's dropping the subject, saving him from potential interrogation.

"Okay." He sighed a bit, looking down at her as she starts to play the piano again.

"Sing the chorus." She orders him in which he just obediently nodded to.

"_It's him with those smiles and it's her with them eyes..._" He starts off, his voice sounding perfect along with the tune of the piano. She smiles as she found that voice of his quite beautiful.

_I don't wanna sound too cliché or anything like that but, he's definitely got the voice of an angel._

"_It's her with the clumsy dances and the stumbling and falling..._" He tries to suppress a chuckle at this point as she just rolled her eyes once again at him and backed up his vocals. "_It's him and how his eyebrow raises and the laughing and grinning..._"

"_It's him and it's her and how they're better together._" She finishes it off for him as he just smiled down at her, loving the sound of her voice.

He leaned down a bit so that his lips were directly above her ear as his breath blew a little down at it. She felt herself shiver at the touch of it but she couldn't really dwell on it for too long as he whispered something to her that made her heart skip a beat.

"You're a pretty good singer." He says in such a husky tone that she starts to wonder if he's deliberately doing this just to spite and tease her.

"Th—thanks." She said, cursing herself for letting her horrible stutters come back. He laughed heartily at her response as he brought his head back up.

"And I mean it." He grins at her, one so wide that she swears it could almost reach his eyes. She smiles in return, not minding her reddening cheeks anymore 'coz she knew there was nothing more she could hide from him.

(He already knew of her hair-chewing habits after all.)

_:::_

At around six o'clock, Ally finally conjured up enough courage to ask Austin about his grades and how he landed a spot at the top homeroom class and he answered it — quite surprisingly with ease — almost instantly.

"My dad likes to keep me on the line 'coz of my attitude so he pays the school good money so that I get the best teachers I can possibly get." He said, shrugging it off as if it was nothing which, to Ally, was actually quite something.

"So, you're fairly well-off then?" She asks him, tilting her head in confusion as he just nonchalantly nodded.

"I guess my family is but, my dad kicked me out of our big house so I live on my own now in a house I rented with my savings." He explains, swinging his feet back and forth as he aimlessly stared at the ground, both of them turned and facing away from the piano. He continued on to say, "I get D's with occasional C's every now and then but, I'm not really the academic type. I'm pretty good in sports though and my music ability kind of keeps the teachers going so they agree to let me stay at the top homeroom class."

"If you used up your own savings to rent a house, what do you do about food and other necessities?" Ally asked, swinging her feet back as well as she played with a few strands of her hair in an absent-minded manner.

"I got a summer job, working at one of the open bars set up for the carnival and every now and then, my mom would come visit me to give me my allowance." He says, kind of leaning his head a bit on her shoulder. "It's a pretty nice set up since my dad knows about it and he doesn't seem to mind which means he still kind of cares."

"I bet he does care." Ally murmurs as Austin unexpectedly grabbed her hand and held it tight. "Maybe he's just not good at showing it."

"My mom says the same thing but I kinda already figured that one on my own." He chuckles a bit in a bitterly ironic manner as he nuzzled his head even more on Ally's neck, feeling her stiffen a bit for a second but relaxing afterward. "I know he cares. I just think he's a bit too disappointed at me and my grades and my stupid alcoholic behavior and my girl-playing. So, I really never once blamed him."

"So you kind of know it's your fault?" She asked, tilting her head a bit so that she could turn and look at him in the eye.

"Part of it is." He shrugs again, his fingers lacing with hers as he gave her hand a tight squeeze.

The sudden action makes her wonder if he's just doing it for comfort or for the fact that he doesn't really know what having a regular friend that's a girl is kinda like. She doesn't dwell on it too much though as she just lets him be.

"What about the other part?" She says and she realizes she's been asking far too many questions for her own good.

_I wonder if he minds me prying..._

"My dad's always been a cold man." He rolls his eyes at that as he lifts his head off her shoulder before standing up and stretching. "He's pretty much a douche in some ways."

Ally would've scolded him for saying such a terrible thing about his father but the smirk he had on when he looked at her told her he was just kind of — for the most part — joking. She gave him a playful glare but the smile on her lips lessened it's effect as he in turn gave her a slight wink of the eye. She rolls her eyes at this and it suddenly strikes her mind that it's getting late and they still had to finish the song.

So turning back around to face the piano, she gestured him to come over as he obediently followed while shrugging his shoulders lazily.

"Let's get this done, friend." She tells him as he just nodded and rolled his eyes in response.

"Yes, friend." He tells her, playing the first note of the whole song. "Let's."

_:::_

They started playing twenty questions again and this time, their questions came out more random than ever. They found out things about each other that they never really intended to know and they saw each other in a more of a different light. And in a strange, weird and crazy way, they actually found that being total and complete opposites helped them get along better.

He started off asking her about her favorite singer and she was more than happy to tell him about her obsession for all the Taylor Swift songs. He in turn told her about his current addiction to the song 'Kids in Love' by Mayday Parade and she almost laughed at the thought of him listening to such a romantic song. He also kinda tells her how liked long late night drives to faraway places and she confesses to him about how much she liked walking in peace by herself.

They had a little bit of an argument over the beach — for she still persisted that the sand is evil and people really do not know what type of swimming gear suits their gender better — and he found it cute the fact that her nose goes red whenever she starts to get agitated. She also tells him about how much she loved the sky and how she not only liked cloud-watching but star-gazing as well.

The random questions being fired back and forth were shaping up to become very valuable information, not just for the song, but for their friendship as well. And somehow, they both found it kind of funny that there was not one thing they ever agreed on.

Like how she's the type to prefer staying home, lying in bed all day while watching chick-flicks whereas he liked the go out, have fun and play 'til the day is over. It's also kind of like how her favorite color is red and how his is yellow and how he thinks they should switch favorite colors 'coz according to Dez — he told her a little bit about his long-time wacky best friend — yellow would be a girlie color while red was for men. She rolled her eyes and laughed out loud at that as he just sat back and admired the sound of her lovely laughter ringing through the air.

They started going on and talking about courage and Ally confessed that she envies him a bit for being so strong and confident while she cowered away behind the shadows. He tells her that she should really someday just stop hiding out in the shadows and just break down those walls of hers.

(She finds it kind of ironic that he can make such a quotation yet think that he cannot write a song. She also notes to herself that she should someday use those for lyrics as well.)

And because of that, he promised her that he'd be there to help her get over her stage fright and help her fight off the fear.

(She thinks he'll keep it 'coz she still doesn't know he's already broken his previous promise.)

And by seven thirty, they've finally got enough information to start finishing off the song. And just like a dam being broken, the lyrics instantly flooded out of Ally's mind, as she played on and sang whatever her mind could come up with while Austin tried his best to keep up and write the lyrics. He smiles when he realizes just how good she was, turning those small little pieces information into wonderful lyrical phrases.

_It's Taylor Swift and Mayday Parade  
It's straight D's and an A plus grade  
It's playing the piano, the strums of the guitar  
It's like walking a mile and driving so far  
It's days at the beach and star-gazing at night  
It's being too scared and putting up a fight  
It's going out to play and staying at home in bed  
And like the colors clashing of yellow and red_

"Let's change the last chorus." He suggests, as Ally stopped playing to turn and look at him with a confused eyebrow raised. He smiles a bit as he started to play and sing. "_It's me with my smiles..._"

She catches on a little too quickly as she starts to sing along with him.

"_And it's you with your eyes..._" Austin continues to sing on as Ally backed his voice with her own vocals. "_It's your clumsy dancing and my eyebrow-raising..._"

"_It's me and how I stumble and fall and you laughing through it all..._" She adds in with her own solo as he nodded his head for her to keep going. "_It's me and it's you, us being the perfect two..._"

And with the play of the final notes on the piano being faded away, Austin and Ally sang the very last line, both of them meaning every single bit of it as they sang their heart out.

"_It's him and it's her and how they're better together._"

(They somehow kind of knew that this was beyond the thin line of their friendship.)

_:::_

"It could be a duet." He tells her right before he walks out of the Sonic Boom. "You could sing it with me."

"I'm good." She tells him, smiling that warm smile of hers. "It's yours to sing; we made a deal."

"But—" Austin tries to convince her but this time, it was her turn to cut him off.

"It's fine Austin." She laughs softly, her heart feeling a little light. "I'll be too scared anyway. Remember? Stage fright?"

"You know, one day, you're gonna have to face your fears." He tells her, taking one step backwards, out of the door. "And I'll be there for you."

"Thanks Austin." Ally smiles even more as she leaned in a bit to him.

She holds out her hand for him to shake as he spreads his arms wide for her to throw herself at him. Seeing the awkward position they had yet again put themselves in, they both did it the other's way, only to end up with it in vice-versa.

They both let out a hearty chuckle before Austin pulled Ally into him, kissing her forehead.

"Bye, friend." He whispers into her ear as she just nodded, getting used to the racing of her heart when the matter concerns him.

"You too, friend." And with that said, he let her go as he turned to leave; but not before giving her a slight wave which she returns.

Once he was out of sight, Ally turned around to look at the quiet and empty store before her as she sighed in a dreamy contentment, sliding down as she leaned on the glassy doors of the Sonic Boom.

"Austin Moon, you've pretty much got me hooked."

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**-x-**

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**IMPORTANT!  
**Heyyah ^^ Sorry I didn't get to update last Friday... I was actually up to my eyeballs with Math and Science revision for my GCSEs which I'm pretty sure I failed -.- Anyway, not that you guys care or anything but, I'm really happy :) I know I didn't get my 90th review mark which I had hoped to get but I actually quite liked the 12reviews I was blessed with ^^ Mostly because they were all so long & reading them gave me so much motivation :') Thank you guys, I really do appreciate it ^^ Well, I've got three more updates left before I (maybe) take a break from this fic. Yep, I am (maybe) gonna take a break from this fic. Mostly because summer's coming & I'm gonna be posting another Auslly fic (no more than eight chapters) which will be based on summer ^^ Hahaha, I'm getting into a summery mood so, I'll (maybe) put this on hiatus & start updating again once I complete the other fic :) & anyway, I hope to get my 100th review before I take my break so, help me with it? :) & I do hope you guys check out the new fic ^^ It's less violent, I guess, & it's more filled with Auslly romance than friendship ;) So, check it out? And some of you may notice (or maybe not) that my writing style may have changed just a tiny wee bit at this chapter. Actually, that's my peterpan-esque coming back a bit XD Anyway, I decided to apply a new technique to the whole fic (one which I may use a lot in my new Auslly fic) & I'm wondering if you guys like it, hate it, don't mind it or don't notice it... Please tell me ^^ & I really hate the feeling of losing readers so if you're still reading, please review? Or maybe even P'M me just to assure me that I'm still satisfying your needs XD & if there are things in the fic that I need to change :) & btw, as soon as I get my 100th review, I'll be doing a shoutout soon ^^ Hahahaha, anyway, school's nearly over (thank God for that) & I'll have tons of time to write since I don't have to worry about tests & homework & schoolwork & blah anymore! So, bring on the Auslly awesomeness XD & btw, please don't expect Dallas to turn mighty-evil in this fic 'coz you'll just be disappointing yourself. I quite like him as a matter of fact but not enough to support Dallyson. & sorry for the crap beta-reading. I'm kinda feeling too lifeless right now to do anything about it -.- Read & review please :') Oh, & one more thing, can anyone guess why Austin hates Superman so much ;) (**PS –** follow me on Twitter hetheillest & make sure to p'm me here your username so I can accept you ^^)


	7. Chapter Seven – Her Visiting Him

**Like a Playboy**

_Chapter Seven – Her Visiting Him_

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**-x-**

* * *

**Summary: **He's always been some sort of a playboy & she's always been some sort of a goody-two-shoes. But it's okay 'coz it's her & it's him & somehow, they still fit to be the perfect two. Austin&Ally. Auslly. AU.

**Rating: **Rated T for strong language & drunk scenes :)

**Inspiration: **Well, it's a cliché idea but, I've wanted to put Austin into that playboy kind of character for awhile now but, I just really hadn't conjured up a good plot for a fic so, I didn't. But after a little incident down town with my friends, I finally got it! & well, here's what came out of it :P

**A/N: **This chapter's a little bit...erm...weird & a lot shorter than usual. Blame my total lack of motivation these past few days -.- It's not bad really, just probably not as good as I'd hoped it to be... Anyway, erm, it's inspired by a series of quotes from a book called 'Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky & the song 'Brick by Boring Brick' by Paramore & yeah... Oh, & btw, I'm thinking of cutting the chapters of this fic short? I mean, I normally write up to 9k - 10k but I think that's a bit too much so I'll just go back to 4k - 6k that I originally started off with? What do you guys think? Suggestions would be appreciated ^^ & this chapter is specially dedicated to the lovely people on Twitter I met the other day :) Enjoy & leave a review at the end, why don't ya? :)

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Austin&Ally & I never will but one of these days, I'll meet Ross Lynch & Laura Marano in person :')

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**-x-**

* * *

The clock was ticking and small droplets of rain were tapping loudly against the window. Yawns and groans were heard across the whole classroom along with the scratching noises of pencil writing on paper. Aside from the occasional snoring from one of the sleeping students, no one else inside the classroom dared to make a sound.

The dead and dreary weather leaves not much to do for Ally other than let her mind wonder off to another one of her daydreams.

Her thoughts would wonder around why time was so slow or why some of their regular customers at the Sonic Boom haven't been in for awhile and she also wonders if Trish still works at Miss Betty's. She starts to think of the cheerleader tryouts currently happening right at this hour and how it would be so nice to for once give it a shot and then she thinks back to her stage fright and what had caused it all.

And all of a sudden, her mind would somehow drift off to thoughts of a bleached-blonde haired boy with sparkling brown innocent eyes and a smile so bright and genuinely warm.

She thinks of all the things she's recently learned about him — like how amazing of a singer he is and that his favorite color is yellow and the kind of complicating relationship he has with his dad — and the things she has yet to find out — like why he's such a playboy or why he hates Superman so much or how his alcoholic streak came to be. She has learned so much about him but for some odd reason, she still feels like somehow, he's still some sort of a stranger.

In a way though, she finds it quite incredible that in the span of one week, she was able to get to know him. To get to know him not just as Austin Moon — the drunk playboy with the conceited ego about the size of Texas — but also as the sweet and charming boy with the perfectly childish personality and the incredible passion for music. And she starts to think that maybe, this is why she doesn't mind knowing much about him.

_It's that mysterious façade he has put up that's got me so curious about who he really is._

But, thoughts of Austin this day usually ended up in her wondering of his whereabouts. Truth be told, she actually hasn't seen that drunk hero of hers since Saturday and she's starting to think to herself if maybe she did something — anything — wrong to somehow shoo him away and scare him off. She doesn't really think she's done anything that's so bad to cause such a reaction from him but his three-day absence seemed to beg to differ.

She doesn't want to believe that he's been gone just because he wanted to avoid her or ignore her or not see her but, she couldn't help it. She was Ally Dawson and her being Ally Dawson meant that she would be thinking of the worst possible scenarios there are — even those that are so far-out, she'd wonder how she even thought of them in the first place.

Although despite the fact that Austin Moon was just a boy she met a little over a week ago and that he was nothing more than just a new 'friend', she couldn't help but somehow put him on top of her list. She has assignments, projects and homework due this day but she hasn't lately given them any second thoughts for all she could right now think about was Austin. Austin this, Austin that, Austin with his smile and Austin with the perfect hair and Austin with those eyes — you get the picture. And she couldn't stand it! She couldn't bare having him forever be stuck in her mind when she clearly has a lot more important things to worry about!

_But I can't stop myself! Anything I think about always leads back to him!_

And it's true. Even the most random of things she could think of would always somehow take her back to the thoughts of that blonde-haired boy. Like for example, water. Water's a drink, drinks are sold in a bar, she went to a bar to lecture Darren and she met Austin at a bar and not only that but, he also had a summer job at a bar. See! Oh, and even something even more random like an apple which students give to their teachers, which teaches in school which Austin has been gone from for three days!

_Why? Why would my mind torment me like this? Does it hate me this much?_

She thinks she's going crazy and she's cursing and blaming Austin for her insanity because honestly, who else is there to blame? After all, he is the guy that's been running through her mind for twenty-four/seven and she clearly wasn't going to blame herself because she's Ally Dawson and — though she may not act like it — Ally Dawson has a lot (a lot) more pride than that.

But her turmoil of thoughts had been suddenly disrupted by a sudden mention of her drunk hero's name and she — even with the fact that her morals were screaming at her and telling her that eavesdropping was wrong — couldn't help but listen in to the conversation that came along with it.

"Is Austin still not coming back?" She heard a very familiar voice speak in a hushed tone and she instantly knew that without a doubt, it was Zach.

_Eurgh. That guy..._

"Nope. He doesn't want to." She heard someone else say in that same low level and she's pretty sure it was Dez' voice; there's no mistaking it.

"Well, he has to! We've got a match on later tonight and he's our point-guard and we need him!" Zach's voice came back, a little bit louder and sharper with a frustrated tone tinging in it.

"Zach, calm down." She hears an outsider's voice lazily speak up and she kind of thinks it's Max's voice since from what she remembers, he's another one of Austin's friends.

"Max is right." Dez snaps at Zach in his own whispering tone and Ally finds it — for one split second — amazing that she was right about Max. "Dallas is also our point-guard so we should be fine even without Austin."

"Dallas isn't good enough and we'll need him for the three-pointers! If he's too busy being the point-guard we'll only have Max and you for it!" Zach's voice sounded irritated, leaving Ally to wonder what the hell are they talking about and what's really going on with Austin.

"Dude, you've gotta give Austin a break." Max's voice came in, having a slightly ticked-off — albeit husky and silent — tone lacing within it.

"Pft. We lose another match 'coz he doesn't show up and we're off the league! Didn't you hear what coach said?" Zach said, his voice a little bit stronger and a little bit more edgier as Ally sat back and continued to listen intently; curiosity filling her mind.

"Just shut up Zach." Dez muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Austin's not the only guy carrying the team."

"Whatever." The black haired boy scoffed and Ally could almost hear him rolling his eyes.

The conversation had suddenly stopped as Ally was left to wonder to herself what had just happened. The information was slowly sinking into her mind and it's all got her so confused. All the questions were swirling around her head, giving it a slight ache as she brought her head down. She didn't know what else to do but all she knows right now was she wanted to know.

She wanted to know what's going on with Austin and what could be bothering him so much that he refuses to go to school. She wanted to know if Zach was mad at Austin for what happened that Friday night — she briefly wonders if he even remembers what happened but then she lets it go remembering the amount of alcohol he's consumed that night — or if he's just pissed 'coz Austin won't attend to whatever that match he's going on about. She wants to know why Dez and Max sounded so frantic about whatever situation Austin's stuck in and she just wanted to be there for him!

_I just wannt to be there for him! Is that really too much to ask?_

Her thoughts were again disturbed by the ringing of the bell and before she could even get up to pack her stuff, she felt warm fingers wrapping around her wrist and pulling her out of her chair as whoever the person was jerked her out and dragged her off to God-knows-where.

She wanted to protest and scream and shout at whoever it was but the flash of red hair that she saw shut her up as she finally realize who it was. She's wondering why he's dragging her off to wherever and she so badly wants to know what's on his mind while his doing so. And maybe, she thinks, it has something to do with Austin.

_:::_

The boy with fiery red hair took Ally to the back of the school's parking lot and they both stood there, wrapped up in an awkward silence with the light shower of rain hitting them both. The brunette girl was nervously biting her bottom lip, staring at the ground as she unconsciously twirled strands of her hair with her right index finger. The boy on the other hand was scratching the back of his neck in frustration.

She doesn't know what's going on and she doesn't dare ask him about it while he just stands there, wondering to himself how he's ever gonna put into words what he really wants to say.

To him, it's a bit strange. He finds it weird and unusual that he'd be going to her of all people for help with his own best friend. In normal occasions, the people he'd go to for situations such as this would probably be the best friend himself or Max or maybe — when he's feeling just that much desperate — even Zach. There are also instances in which he'd take the matters onto his own hands and fix it himself. But, he never really thought there'd ever come a day that he'd be asking a girl — much less goodie-two-shoes little Ally Dawson, for that matter of fact — to help him out.

It's not a request from Austin but by the way the blonde-haired best friend of his spoke about her that Friday night, he knew this is what he'd want. Call it 'best friend's intuition' or maybe just a lucky guess but, he's pretty sure that out of all the ingenious — he's got a different definition for ingenious, he likes to think — things he's thought of, this may be the one and only one that could ever be right.

So here he is, standing in front of the girl — with plain ol' brunette hair and chocolate brown eyes — that his best friend seems to be so fond of. He doesn't really know what Austin sees in her but he can see the potential. He can see her potential to change him; change him back to the Austin he knew once upon a time.

"Austin's in a lot of trouble." He muttered, looking down at the ground as he continued on to scratch the back of his neck.

"Is he okay?" She asked him, her voice so soft and gentle, laced with so much worry and concern that he could almost understand why Austin chose her of all people.

"Not really." He sighed deeply, lifting his head up to look her dead in the eye. "He's not doing so well and he's not coping well either."

"What happened?" She asked the dreaded question and he starts to wonder if telling her would be really worth it.

"He got into a mess is all..." He tried to keep it as vague as possible because he's not too sure if Austin would appreciate it if he told her the truth.

"What mess?" She asked him in a very curious and prying voice as she raised an eyebrow up in question.

He let out a frustrated sigh as he turned his gaze back to the ground. He was debating to himself whether he should tell her or not and, least to say, the decision was not easy.

On one hand, he could just not tell her and just lie through his teeth and tell her to forget about this whole thing while he finds a way to fix the mess himself. It seemed like the better option and there's no stressful complications involved — aside from all the lying he's gonna have to do — and it ensures that Austin's friendship with this girl stays strong. But, he also feels the need to tell her the truth and tell her what's really going on. Because in all honesty, he just wanted to see if this Ally Dawson girl really is the girl for Austin Moon.

But making decisions was never easy and for a guy like him, decisions were something he tried and did his best to avoid. He hates being caught up between two choices so as much as he possibly could, he stays put in one side and one path. But, that doesn't necessarily mean he's always successful and this is just another one of those decisions he can't forever try to avoid. It's pretty screwed up, he thinks.

"Dez?" He heard her call out to him as he brought his head up to look at her concern-filled brown eyes.

And at that, that's when he knew exactly what to do. He's gonna take a risk and he's gonna tell her the truth because he wants to know if she's strong enough to handle what Austin is really about and he wants to make sure that Austin's gonna be in good hands with this girl. And plus, he's pretty sure he won't be able to handle this mess by himself.

"Austin got into a car accident on Sunday night." He let out, so smoothly and casually that he starts questioning himself of his sanity.

"WHAT?" Ally shrieked, horror etching all over her face as she balled her hand into a very tight fist.

"He was drunk driving." Dez said, his voice such a careless whisper making Ally's eyes go wide in even more shock and horror.

"He got drunk?" She said, her voice rising and trembling a bit as she bit at her bottom lip hard.

_Austin got drunk again! He promised me he'd stop drinking!_

"Ally, you don't know Austin like I do." Dez said, his voice radiating off a bit of rage, taking Ally aback as the brunette girl stared at him with wide eyes. "He's my best friend. He's trying not to drink for you, he really is but, he's just so addicted and the stress is building up on him that he couldn't take it anymore. He needed to drink."

"But he got into a car accident!" Ally yelled, feeling guilty right after because she knows she shouldn't be yelling at Dez; rather, she should be yelling at Austin.

"I know that but, the injuries weren't too bad." Dez let out another sigh — mostly because of the fact that that was nothing more than just one big lie — as he turned to face away from her with his hand running through his hair. "He's not off school because he can't walk or whatever. His body is fine but, he's scared. He's scared of facing you after what he's done."

"What kind of stress does he have to go through to drive him into drinking so much anyway?" Ally asked out in clear frustration as she folded her arms in an irritated manner.

"He's got issues Ally. Austin hasn't been the same since—" He stopped talking right there, realizing he's said too much.

Ally raised an eyebrow at him, almost commanding at him to continue on but he refuses. He knows he's stepped over the line and he also knows Austin's gonna punish him for it later on. That's why he stopped talking and just proceeded to look down at the ground. But Ally's not gonna let that slide so easily as he'd hoped.

"What is it, Dez?" She asked him, taking one step closer as she glared at him.

"Ally, please understand that if Austin wants to tell you, he'll tell you." Dez said, his voice practically begging her. "It's his problems. Not mine."

Taking a step back, Ally sighed, completely understanding what Dez was trying to say. She turned around as she bit at her lip once again, gathering strands of her hair so that she can chew at them later on.

_Even after Saturday, there's still so much I don't know about Austin! It's so frustrating!_

She felt a hand on her shoulder, making her turn around to see Dez smiling a little goofy smile at her. She raised an eyebrow again in confusion as he just shrugged and gestured for her to follow him before he walked away, back to his green truck.

"Let's visit Austin." He gleefully said — in a way that impresses Ally; the fact that he can switch moods so quickly and easily — as he hopped onto the driver's seat while Ally jumped up shotgun.

"Okay." She smiles a little, her anger slowly dissipating away as she realizes she'll get to see Austin today after all.

"And Ally..." Dez calls out as she turns to look at him while tilting her head to the side a bit. He laughed at her confused expression before continuing on to speak, saying, "Please don't tell Austin I told you anything."

"Sure Dez." Ally smiled back at him before turning to face up at the road ahead of them.

_No one breaks promises made with Ally Dawson. That's something Austin's definitely gonna know after I slap him in the face._

_:::_

The sky was tinted with the colors of orange and purple as the sun slowly set down beyond the horizon. The breezy air blew pass Ally's little red dress, making it slowly dance and sway as the warm atmosphere surrounding her made her smile just a little bit. The grass beneath her boots were the color of evergreen with transparent dews of water hanging by their tips. The house before her was small, almost cottage-like and there were veins and roots surrounding it's dandelion-painted cement.

The scene around her was magnificent and so serene that it really made her wonder so much if Austin did really live here. The nature-friendly aura it gave off was something that she never really thought would ever match his crazy and outgoing personality but, for some odd reason — as she gave more of deeper insight to it — it somehow worked. She could, in a weird and crazy messed-up way, see Austin as just that kind of guy.

_Although he'll probably never admit it, even if he was._

She sighed in contentment, breathing in the fresh air all around her as the small smile that graced her lips grew a little bit wider. Her eyes once again scanned over the whole area — as if taking in her mind a mental picture of all that was surrounding her — never wanting to forget it. Because she was Ally Dawson and Ally Dawson was just that sentimental kind of girl.

While Ally was busy enjoying the peaceful aura of the place, Dez was unloading his truck with boxes of cans of coke. He previously told Ally that it was Austin's current substitution for alcohol and although it may not be the healthiest drink out there, it was better than the endless supply of Breezer that that blonde-haired best friend of his used to have.

"I never knew Austin lived in such a faraway place." Ally commented as she briefly took a a glance at Dez, taking a moment to break away from her little daydream.

"He doesn't." Dez said pointedly, taking out the last box from the truck.

"Then, why are we here?" Ally asked, confusion evident in her voice as she raised an eyebrow up.

"'Coz this is where he is right now." Dez said, placing the box down onto the ground as he headed on towards the door.

"What?" The brunette girl asked with an incredulous look on her face, following right behind him. "But you—"

"This was Austin's grandfather's house." Dez said, cutting Ally off as he gave her a small smile. "He likes to come here when he doesn't want to see anyone."

"Where's his grandfather?" Ally hesitantly asked as she turned away from Dez, biting her bottom lip while she nervously awaited his for response.

"Don't worry. He's still alive." Dez grinned wide as he started knocking on the door. "He moved to Oklahoma though."

"Ah..." Ally said, letting out a very relieved sigh. "That's good to know."

There was a moment of awkward silence as both teenagers busied themselves being wrapped up in their own thoughts. Ally was thinking of all the things she has yet to learn about Austin Moon and Dez wonders to himself if bringing the brown-eyed brunette girl — whom his best friend seems to be pretty infatuated with — here to Austin's 'special place' was such a good idea after all.

After a few more minutes of total and complete silence, he finally decided to speak

"He really misses his grandfather." Dez said, suddenly breaking the wall of ice that had started to form around them. He looked down at the ground as he gave knocking on the door one more shot before he continued on to speak, saying, "They were close. Even closer than how Austin and his own dad could ever be."

Ally's chocolate brown eyes lifted themselves up, causing her to stare up at the red-headed boy in front of her. The look of sadness and regret filled his face and it really struck her confused and speechless. Her throat felt dry and anything she dared to try to say wouldn't come out at all.

_There's more to it than just that, I'm sure._

She knows that's not just all there is to it and while she'd love to ask Dez for all the details of it, she couldn't. It's not just because her voice just suddenly decided to abandon her — although that was a pretty legitimate reason, if she says so herself — but also because of the fact that she knows Dez won't spill anything to her at all and she wanted to hear it out right from Austin himself.

What Ally really wants is for Austin to trust her. All she really intended to ever have is for Austin and her's friendship to get to that point where he'll tell her anything — if not everything — she wanted and needed to know. She wants to build what they have right now into something deeper and while it'd be nice to know everything about him right there and then, it'd be better if she actually earned his trust.

_I'm his friend and as his friend, I respect whatever decision he may make of whether to tell me or to not tell me at all._

The door unexpectedly swung open with a bang, startling Ally out of her thoughts. She suddenly brought her eyes up to see a shirtless Austin who stood there with a surprised glint in his eyes and a mouth gaped open in confusion.

Dez awkwardly squeezed pass Austin as he tried to get into the house while the two brown-eyed teenagers stared directly into each other's orbs. The tension that was sparking between the two left the blue-eyed boy to smirk to himself in amusement as found his plan — although not going quite the way he wanted it to go — working perfectly well.

What happened next was definitely out of the blue and clearly unexpected to both Dez and Austin. The shock on each of their faces was almost comical when Ally suddenly brought her hand up to slap Austin on the cheek, _hard_. Dez' mouth flew open as the stinging sensation on Austin's cheek left the blonde-haired boy to flinch in pain. Ally, on the other hand, did another surprising thing.

Throwing her hands up in the air, Ally launched her whole body into Austin, tackling him into the ground as he instinctively caught her whilst wrapping his arms around her waist. She screamed muffled cries at him as she started to pound uncontrollably at his well-toned chest.

Her whole body was shaking with emotions of every kind shooting through her veins. She was pissed at him for breaking his promise but she was just so happy to see him after missing him for four days and she was also so relieved to see that he was okay. She cried emotional tears of frustration and happiness — although she's pretty sure this was never really part of her plan — as she buried her face deeper within his chest, desperately looking for comfort.

Saying that Austin was bewildered would be quite an understatement. He was just so completely gobsmacked and speechless that he honestly didn't know what to do or what to say and as he looked up to his friend in desperation for help, he couldn't help but feel relieve.

He knows he should be mad at Dez for bringing her here and that he should really be yelling at him for disturbing him while his away on his own little vacation from life but, he couldn't. To be quite honest, he was thankful. He was thankful to have such a friend — a friend like Dez is really hard to find, he must admit — who would go through all hell of troubles and would risk anything, even getting punched in the face by him, just to cheer him up.

And with that thought in mind, he grinned slightly up at Dez as he gestured with his head for him to leave and give him and Ally some space. Dez nodded in response as he just carelessly shrugged his shoulders before sauntering off into the kitchen.

Once his crazy red-haired best friend was out of sight, he immediately tightened his wrap on Ally's waist as he buried his head into the crook of her neck, silently muttering 'sorry's and 'shhhh's into her ear.

The action made her stiffen and halt her pounding into him as she bit at her bottom lip so hard, she could almost taste the metallic taste of blood filling the tip of her tongue. She wanted to scream at him for being so careless and for going off and breaking his promise but she couldn't because she knows — and damn how she knows it so well — that whatever little thing he does will somehow end up persuading her into forgiving him.

_I hate how he has this much control over me!_

"I hate you." She muttered into his chest as she felt him breathe in deeply. "You broke your promise."

"So Dez told you." He said, sighing in a helpless manner.

"Yeah." She lifted her head up, off of his chest, just so she can take a good look at his face.

"I'm guessing he also told you about the car accident." He frowned as she hesitantly nodded weakly at him while shutting her eyes — that glistened with emotional wrecking tears that she's trying so hard to stop — close.

"Yeah." She let out in a raspy voice as the tears she tried so hard to push back before forced their way out of her.

"I'm sorry." His voice was so soft, so gentle and so full of sincerity that it made it even harder for her to control the upcoming flood of tears.

"Why?" She asks him, scolding herself for being such an emotional wreck.

"I didn't want to Ally but, it's never that easy." He sighs, letting go of her as he ran a hand through his mess of a blonde hair. "I wanted to keep my promise to you and I wanted to make you happy and I tried, I really did. But, the fuck shit I put myself through isn't as easy without the alcohol."

"What's so hard that you can't get through it without the help of alcohol?" She asked him, her eyes burning with so much concern that it made him feel so guilty for ever causing her to feel such an emotional tantrum.

He wanted to tell the truth. He really did. But, he couldn't. He didn't want to scare her away and he doesn't want her to get involve with his shit either. So, he did the one thing he could do. He wasn't gonna lie, but he wasn't gonna tell her the whole truth either. Maybe just a side of it.

"My addiction." He muttered as he leaned down once again to carelessly place a kiss onto her forehead. "Alcohol's my addiction and I need it."

She could tell he was lying, no matter how honest he may have seemed to sound. She wanted to pry on but she's not going to do that because like she said before, she wanted him to trust her. And if he doesn't trust her enough right now, maybe some other time — some other day — he will. But for now, she'll accept what he has to offer.

"Austin, I'm here for you." She tells him, gently raising her chin up so that her lips were barely touching his ear. "Forget about alcohol. You don't need it. You've got me."

He smirked just a little bit as he heard her say this, his brown eyes sparking up once again in that tantalizing manner with a mix of amusement within it. He starts to think to himself that maybe, she's right. Maybe he doesn't need alcohol after all. Maybe, he just needed her.

"Yeah, I know that." He whispers back slowly as he kissed her lightly on the lips.

Maybe, she could be his new addiction.

_:::_

The rays of sun were slowly fading away, off into the horizon as the sky painted itself the darkest shade of blue. The moon's light was starting to illuminate the grounds surrounding them as little by little, the stars of the sky started to peak through, poking small holes through the vast blanket above them.

Laying peacefully on the ground — with the red and white picnic cloth being their only protection from the wet and sharp blades of grass — were Austin and Ally, both of them enjoying the beautiful and calm atmosphere surrounding them.

Their brown eyes were staring up at the sky, gazing onto the pretty lights of the stars that started to shine through the darkness. Their hands were tangled up together, their fingers lacing up with each others' as the warm palms of their hands lightly touched. Ally's skin received little chills from the cold breeze of air that passed them by as it blew away, tangling a mess of her lovely brown curls. Austin on the other hand was grinning wide, feeling quite satisfied with the warmth Ally's hand was giving off.

Six on the dot from the clock that ticked within the house and all these two clueless teenagers could think of was the very thin line of friendship they were crossing. They were treading on dangerous grounds and they both know that once you're over the line, you can never get back. It was wrong and they both knew it but, it's not gonna stop them. The feel of their intertwined hands was soothing and all the raging nerves and protests their minds played deep within their heads slowly started to fade into an abysmal void of the forgotten.

But they were both actually so oblivious to the tension that surrounded them. Both of them — both Austin and Ally — were pretty much clueless to each other's thoughts and desires. Their hearts were popping up in explosion with every kind of cliché emotion but neither of the two paid heed to it. And even with the fact that sparks were flying off everywhere, both Austin and Ally still refused to acknowledge the fact that this single moment is anymore than an act of friendship.

_They're two lovers in denial._

Dez thought so as he watched the two that lay beneath the stars, silently snickering to himself in both amusement and comical hopelessness. He was pretty sure that both Austin and Ally liked each other and the obvious chemistry between them was not so hard to see but, their stubborn personalities — and the fact that they're determined to make this whole friendship thing work — was leading the both of them to deny in protest of the chance of romance that is forming.

And while Dez muses to himself over the fact that Ally may be the one to change Austin back for the better to the way he used to be, conversation struck between the two clueless teenagers as the brunette girl finally decided to speak up through the silence that once filled them.

"You have a match you're suppose to attend to." She simply states as she turned her head a little to take a glance at him.

"I know." He shrugs, never taking his gaze away from the stars lighting them above.

"You should go. Your team really needs you." She suggests, sitting up and suddenly letting go of his hand, making him miss the wonderful feel of it.

"They can do it without me." He grunted, muttering harshly under his breath as Ally shot him a confused look.

"What's up?" She casually asks, leaning down onto the blanket as she turned to face him before propping her elbow up and resting her head onto the palm of her hand.

"It's nothing." He said, breathing in deeply as he threw his head back while closing shut his eyes.

"It's obviously something." She says with a sharp tone, rolling her brown eyes at his lying antics. He poked one eye open at her before grinning wide.

"Do you wanna see me play basketball?" He asks her, turning to come face-to-face with her as he slowly opened his eyes, showing in them that mischievous glint shining through those brown orbs of his.

"Yes!" Ally eagerly exclaimed as she jumped up on a sitting position, smiling wide.

"Okay..." He trails off as he too sat up, running his hand through his bleached-blonde hair. "I'll go play the match if you come and watch and cheer me on."

Ally's smile dropped as she turned to face away from him, nervously biting at her bottom lip while her index finger unconsciously started to twirl strands of her curly brown hair. Austin's eyebrow rose up in confusion as an amused smile started to tug at his lips while his eyes dilated at her cute and nervous display.

"I don't know Austin..." She sighed deeply, daring to look him up in the eye. "All of your other friends and girlfriends are gonna be there..."

"So?" He curtly responded in nonchalance as he shrugged his shoulders in a casual manner, completely ignoring her comment about his 'girlfriends'.

"I don't get along with any of those people and I don't wanna seem to intrude." She sighs again, frowning slightly as she looked back down, her eyes staring intently at the checkered pattern of the cloth they both sat at.

"You'll be fine Ally." He spoke in such an assuring tone as he unexpectedly cupped her chin and lifted it up, forcing her to look him dead in the eye once again. "I'm there and Dez is there. We'll introduce you."

"That's not the point." Ally mutters, taking a hold of his wrist as she lifted his hands off her chin and placed it back down onto his lap before letting go.

"Then, what is?" He almost snapped at her, slowly feeling in himself a little agitation as his patience once again started to run thin.

Ally rolled her eyes at this, frowning just a little bit before standing up and dusting herself off. She turned on her heels, slowly walking back up to the house as Austin reluctantly stood up as well to follow her.

"Just go to the match Austin and win. Your friends need you." She calls out to him as she turned around to face him once again. "You don't need me cheering you on for you to win a match. You've got other girls for that."

He smirked, slowly realizing what her sudden change of mood was really all about. He rolled his eyes playfully at her before taking a few steps forwards and grabbing her wrist. He leaned in, his face suddenly in such close proximity with hers. Breathing in deeply her sweet smelling vanilla-winter scent, he smiled before deciding to speak.

"Jealous, Ally?" A teasing smirk played on his lips as she snorted at him, rolling her brown eyes in annoyance.

"Jealous? Pft. No." She snappily fired at him as he just shook his head and laughed.

He suddenly let her wrist go before unexpectedly wrapping his arms around Ally's petite little waist, pulling her closer to him as he leaned his head down to bury it into her curls of brown hair. This earned a surprised gasp from Ally as she instinctively held onto the sides of his purple shirt, her face squeezed into his well-toned chest. He then let his lips hover over to her ear, before he spoke.

"Don't worry Alls." He whispers in a very husky tone, his breathing ragged with his heartbeat going fast. "You're the only girl whose support matters to me."

Ally closed her eyes, inhaling in that chocolate smell of a summer breeze scent he had on whilst she enjoyed the warmth of his hug. A small smile graced her lips as she clutched onto the sides of his purple shirt, breathing deeply in and out.

"Okay." She mutters as she lightly pulled back, making him look down on her with curious brown eyes. "I'll go and support you."

He grinned wide, suddenly letting her go as he jumped up in sheer joy, causing Ally to playfully roll her eyes and smile. He started shouting nonsensical words as he celebrated with his very own happy dance, also grabbing her wrists and dragging him along with her.

Laughing out loud, Ally let him take her as she too goofily danced with him, letting loose herself. The sound of their laughter rung through the air of the moonlight-illuminated darkness while Dez peeked out the window to see the two teenagers in the heat of their little moment. He smirked to himself before rolling his eyes.

_They're too obvious._

Ally halted the dance for a minute as she pulled Austin into her while she stared him right in those brown eyes of his with all-seriousness. She then smiled cheekily at him before playfully and gently tapping his cheeks.

"If you lose, you'll buy me a jar of pickles." She grinned wide as he just let out a soft chuckle. She then brought her hand up in an offer to shake it, hopefully looking up at him and saying, "Deal?"

He laughed just a little bit, the softness of the sound of it soothing Ally's nerves. The sparkling fire of amusement and joy in his eyes was dazzling to look at as the brunette girl let herself get lost into them. And after a few seconds of comfortable silence, he finally decided to take action.

He just out-of-the-blue so suddenly grabbed her hand and shook it well as he smiled down on her that boyishly charming smile of his before saying, "Deal."

_:::_

"Austin, do you really think this is a good idea?" Dez asked, raising a disbelieving eyebrow at his bleached-blonde haired best friend with worry filling his eyes.

"No." Austin said, sighing deeply as he did his signature run of a hand through his hair.

"Then why are you doing it?" Dez almost shouts at Austin and he would've if not for the fact that Ally was just a mere few feet away.

"'Coz I want to make her happy." The blonde-haired boy said, smiling to himself as he glanced over at the brunette girl who was looking through all the pictures hanging on the wall with fascination.

"And playing the match tonight with that stitch on your leg is gonna make her happy?" Dez stomped his foot in frustration as he balled his hand into a very tight fist that caused his knuckles to turn the palest shade of white.

"My leg is fine." Austin bluntly said, rolling his brown eyes at the sudden rage of his red-haired best friend. He sighs after before speaking once again, saying, "I'm fine."

"No." Dez furiously shook his head before he grabbed Austin by the shoulder and looked him dead right in the eye. "No Austin. You're not fine. You obviously do not know the meaning of 'fine.'"

"Then tell me what it means Dez." Austin snapped in a growl, slapping Dez' hands off his shoulder.

"Fine is when you're alright. When there's no trouble for you. Fine is not you." The red-haired boy continued to stare into those chocolate brown eyes of Austin's. "Fine isn't fucking you with your fucking stitched up leg and your 'little' fucking hangover!"

"Dez!" Austin growled at his best friend as Dez' voice grew louder and louder with each word. "Shut the fuck up before Ally hears you!"

"No Austin. She's the only person I know that may stop you and I'm gonna talk as loud as I want to until she fucking hears me!" At this point, Dez was actually deliberately increasing the amplitude of his voice, not caring about the death glares his best friend was shooting at him. "It's for your own good Austin."

"It's not that big a deal Dez!" By now, Austin's patience for his best friend's overprotective shit was running thin and this pointless conversation was finally driving him to the brink of insanity.

"Yes it is Austin! You got into a car crash Sunday night and the doctor advised you to stay in the hospital which you didn't! And then he tells you to just stay at home for at least two weeks which you also didn't do 'coz you've been out partying these last three days!" Dez was way beyond furious. His cheeks were burning in red with so much rage and smoke was definitely coming out of his ears. Pushing Austin into a nearby wall, he glared hard with his greenish blue eyes at the boy in front of him before speaking through gritted teeth, saying, "Your leg's not gonna get any better."

"I'll be fine." Austin choked out, slightly taken aback — and quite frankly, scared — at the angry display his best friend was putting up. Swallowing hard the lump that had formed in his throat, he gently pushed Dez away from him before deciding to continue on speaking, saying, "And if I don't go, Zach and coach would throw a fit."

Inhaling in a large supply of air, Austin stalked off, away from Dez as he made it clear as day that the conversation was over. No more arguments, no more words and no more nothing are to be said because once Austin's mind is finally made up, there's nothing more you can do; you don't go changing it.

Watching his friend's retreating back, Dez just shook his head in disappointment as he ran a frustrated hand through his red hair. He sighed deeply before hesitantly following Austin, still planted in his mind the worry for his friend's sake.

_This basketball match better be fucking worth it._

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**-x-**

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**Important!**

So, I just found out that my friends are pretty much not right in the head since...well...they're crazy. Long story short, we were having a day out & my friend suggests we go to this crazy fancy restaurant which apparently sells the best waffles. & of course I thought he was joking but when we got there & he got us a table for seven, I realized a little too late that he was serious. The worst thing about it was we had to book to get in & our server was kind enough to give us their last available table which was a real waste since only one of us was actually gonna eat & all he's gonna eat were waffles... I'm pretty sure we're banned from that place. On a side note, just wanted to share that crazy experience to, idk, make you laugh or something? But, anyway, hope you liked this chapter & please review ^^ Oh, & once I hit 100reviews, I'm thinking of giving this fic a cool abbreviated name or something... But if I do it'll end up as 'LAP' since it's 'Like a Playboy'... What do you guys think? :) Reviews ^^ & you'll be happy to know that I won't be taking a break but I will find a balance between this fic & the other one ^^ Let's see if I can do it XD & btw, I am so sorry for how crappy this chapter is! I swear I'll make it all up to you in chapter 8! That one'll be good, I can promise you this now ;) & I really wanted to give more of a deeper insight into Austin & Dez' friendship since I did it with Ally's & Trish at chapter three so, that explains the whole erm Dez & being concerned & all... I'm trying to make this story as close to the show yet as real as possible... Okay, Imma be gone now :B Read & review? Please? & oh, I finally made a cover image for this ^^ PS - Follow me on Twitter? The name's hetheillest :) Oh, & on one last note, I'm back to updating weekly every Friday :) That is all :)


	8. Chapter Eight – Her Realization

**Like a Playboy**

_Chapter Eight – Her Realization_

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**-x-**

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**Summary: **He's always been some sort of a playboy & she's always been some sort of a goody-two-shoes. But it's okay 'coz it's her & it's him & somehow, they still fit to be the perfect two. Austin&Ally. Auslly. AU.

**Rating: **Rated T for strong language & drunk scenes :)

**Inspiration: **Well, it's a cliché idea but, I've wanted to put Austin into that playboy kind of character for awhile now but, I just really hadn't conjured up a good plot for a fic so, I didn't. But after a little incident down town with my friends, I finally got it! & well, here's what came out of it :P

**A/N: **Okay. This chapter is actually gonna seriously get me murdered. Anyway, a few warnings, a special character comes back & well...there's a new one that comes too. This should seriously test Austin & Ally's 'friendship' . Oh, & maybe a little bit of realization, you know ;) Inspired by the song 'Lift Me Up' by the Afters, 'Baby Blue Eyes' by Rocket to the Moon , 'Superhero' by Cher Lloyd & Liz Gillies' cover of 'You & I' by Lady Gaga :) Wanna tell me if you see in where I've used reference to those songs ;) & btw, this might actually reveal (if you look closely enough) who Ally's Superman is & why Austin hates him. So, yeah. Anyway, enjoy & drop a review at the end, will ya ;) & btw, this is like extremely short 'coz I've been procrastinating & I'm so dead on inspiration but I swear I'll make it up to you next chapter (which I promise will be like 7k – 10k)! Oh, & this is mostly on Ally's POV :)

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Austin&Ally & I never will but one of these days, I'll meet Ross Lynch & Laura Marano in person :')

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**-x-**

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When Austin said basketball, the first thing that came to Ally's mind was a huge inside court with sweaty boys running around in their jerseys and shorts while the benches filled themselves with crowds of people screaming cheers and jeers. She did not, however, expect it to be out in the open where the cold hard cemented ground served to be the court and the only source of light — aside from the illuminating moonshine and gleaming stars — was the small flickering of the street lamps.

But even so, she found the scene before her quite honestly breathtaking. The calm breeze of a damp air that surrounded the whole place sent pleasant chills up and down her spine, making her feel more refreshed than ever. The serene and peaceful hum of the wind blowing through the trees caused a smile to tug on her lips as she felt the grass beneath her boots go soft due to the crystal water dews on each blade of them.

She couldn't help but sigh a little in contentment as she breathed in the air of that very moment, taking in every little aspect of the night while her eyes fluttered close. Her hands were clasped together in a limped and dazed manner as her hair tangled themselves up with the salty wind. She bit hard at her bottom lip through the smile, her toes tiptoed a bit as she inhaled in an over-exaggerated manner, feeling as if she's so free for one split second.

Austin took a small glance down at her before he smiled in small amusement. His eyes shined with admiration while small knots started to form within his stomach. He couldn't help but feel a small blush creep up his cheeks as his palms started to sweat like crazy. The temperature of the air around him feverishly grew while his heart started to beat a little bit faster than usual. And right there and then, he realized that he only ever felt like this around her. And weirdly enough, the thought of it really made him smile.

"You're gonna play basketball out here?" Ally asks, her voice laced in a tone of excitement that couldn't be contained.

"Well, at the back." He says, carelessly shrugging his shoulders as he closed his eyes in relaxation before leaning his head back a bit. "That's where the basketball court is."

"Wow." Ally let out, feeling so honestly amazed. She looked up at him with her smile so wide and eager — matching those big innocent brown eyes of hers — before she let out at him a barrage of questions, asking, "Is it big? Are there lights? Is anyone else watching? Where will I sit? Who are you playing against? Are you good? Is Dez playing?"

"Slow down Ally and catch a breath." He said, chuckling slightly at her ramble as she playfully rolled her eyes while gently shoving him. He smirked a bit before deciding to answer her questions, saying, "Yes it's a big court and it's made of cement. Yes there will be lights like, I mean, how are we gonna play in the dark anyway? And there's only a few people coming to watch, most probably from the other team and you'll be sitting at our team bench. I don't know who we're playing against but, yes, Dez is indeed playing."

"That is so cool!" She squealed out loud, giggling to herself in a very giddy manner. Looking up at him, her brown eyes shined with eager excitement and glee as she spoke, saying, "This is the first time I'm ever gonna watch a basketball match! I'm so excited!" Throwing herself into his arms and attacking him in a very tight hug, she whispers into his well-toned chest, chanting to him, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Why are you thanking me?" He asked, his chuckles turning into a soft amused laughter as he returned the hug, wrapping around her waist — he loves that waist of hers, really — those strong arms of his.

"Because you brought me here!" She said, leaning back a little so that she can look him in the eye and give him that warm beautiful smile she owns.

"This seriously can't be the first time you've watched basketball, right?" He questioned with an eyebrow raised and a playful smile gracing his lips.

"It is." She laughs as she gently took hold of his wrists, gently taking off his arms' hold on her.

"Even on tv?" Austin's eyes sparked with amusement, his eyebrow still raised up as he reluctantly let her go.

"It didn't seem that much interesting." She shrugs with closed eyes. "I'd rather see it live."

He smiled down at her, gently and unexpectedly grabbing her small little hand, trapping it within the hold of his calloused ones. He brought it up close to his lips as she eyed him with wide curious brown eyes. Softly placing a small kiss on the back of that fragile hand of hers, he looked her up — his brown eyes sparking up with so much mischief and a teasing gleam — before speaking.

"Well, Miss Ally Dawson, tonight must be your lucky night." He says in a low and husky voice, him dragging every word of that sentence.

"Why, Sir Austin Moon, it must be." She giggled a little, her soft laugh a playful tease of a tone.

"Funny." He snorted in mock sarcasm as he rolled his eyes at her.

"I know." She grinned, her face seeming so perfect under the light of the moon.

Carefully tugging at her hand, he pulled her away and dragged her off to the back of the park, his eyes filled with the fire of determination and confidence as a smug grin played on his lips.

"Let's go." Austin cheekily said, turning to give her a thumbs up. "It's time for me to win."

Ally responded with her soft laugh before, letting him drag her away as she felt his hold on her wrist a perfect fit.

_:::_

Those eyes, them lips and her hair; it was all too familiar. The way her pools of crystal blue seemed to spark with such confidence and how the smirk on her lips added grace to her conceit. The way she stood there — her strong and daring gaze taunting him — as she awaited him to make the first move. The swirls of auburn and brown highlighting her moonlight-illuminated blonde hair as she cocked her head to one side, her slim little fingers softly touching those innocent virgin lips of hers.

He could almost taste the alcohol that had been there the first time they kissed and he remembers almost choking on the thick layer of make-up that covered her face when they did so. He recalls the sharing of cigarettes that night as songs by Mayday Parade played through the cars' speakers. But what he remembers the most from that one particular memory was the tension of lust that filled them two as they made-out at the back of her Ferarri with his hands on her hips and her legs wrapped up around his waist.

Chills ran up and down his spine as the feeling of her hands roaming all over his body came back to him, almost feeling on his lips that little smirk she had on throughout their heated kiss. And for that moment of reminiscing and nostalgia, Austin completely forgot about Ally.

"Cassidy." He whispered breathlessly as his eyes stared up and down the girl right across him.

The sudden escape of the name from his lips caused Ally to turn and look at him before she brought her gaze up to see who he had been staring at. And when her brown eyes clashed with the Cassidy girl's crystal blue ones, her heart stopped beating as she instinctively jerked her hand off of Austin's hold.

The air grew thick and hot as the tension rose between them two. Ally had already averted her gaze to the ground, accepting the fact that she currently is invisible to the blonde-haired boy while oblivious little Austin continued to stare at the girl that once stole his heart.

"I'm gonna go." Ally quickly mutters, not caring if he heard her or not as she briskly shuffled away from him.

She let her feet drag her to wherever, not bothering to look up where she was going as a million questions raised through her mind. Questions of why she felt so angry and distraught just because of that little scene lingered inside her head as she did her best to try and push those unwanted thoughts away. She felt her heart go heavy as she blinked away the stinging sensation of hot burning tears within her eyes while her body trembled with rage.

She stopped dead on her tracks as she shut her eyes close, silently wishing that this was all a dream. The picture of Austin's lovestruck face burned deep within her mind as she felt her throat run dry. Her hands were balled into tight fists with her knuckles turning into the palest shade of white. She bit at her bottom lip so hard that she almost yelled out in pain.

_Why? Why do I feel so fucked right now?_

"Are you okay?" A very familiar stranger suddenly asked behind her, the tone of his voice so gentle and kind.

"No." She honestly answered as she turned to look at him with her tear-stained face and red puffy eyes. "I'm not okay."

"Why?" He asked her, taking a small step forward while gently taking a hold of her small hand.

She didn't answer. Instead, she just stood there staring at the ground while she continued on to nibble at her bottom lip. Her eyes turned glassy and dull — as opposed to the brilliant brown that it once was. She held onto his hand, her hold on it tight and desperate for comfort as he just stood there staring at her.

She took a short glance at him after a minute had passed, clearly seeing those beautiful brown eyes of his shine with concern underneath the moonlight. His soft-looking brown hair flopped the perfect way — like it always did — as the wind shyly blew pass them. He had on a worried and confused frown that went well with that raised eyebrow of his as he cocked his head a bit to the side.

And with that one simple action from that one charming boy before her, her mood lightened up as she let out a breathlessly hearty laugh that earned her an amused smile from him.

She didn't have to say anything else after and he didn't either. In a strange and unexplainable way, they understood each other. Maybe because deep down, the relationship between them grew deep; even deeper than what she and Austin probably had. She feels familiar with him and the way he smiled made her feel so safe and secure; as if nothing could harm her. And it's probably true because just one look into those honest brown eyes of his, you can already tell that he'd probably be her perfect superhero.

But even with this sure fact, there's still that one missing piece that only a certain blonde-haired boy could ever complete.

_::: _

Ally never thought she'd see the day that a pair of baby blue eyes could send such chilling fear all throughout her body. But when her innocent chocolate brown eyes came clashing with this boy's blue ones, she couldn't help but feel so scared.

The glare he had on her was anger-filled and so full of lust. His hands seemed to be itching to just grab her while she shakily gripped onto the hem of her skirt. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she unconsciously started to nibble on at the bottom of her lip while her fear-stricken eyes stared up at his enraged ones. She swallowed hard the lump that had form within her throat, her whole body shaking in so much fear.

She inwardly cursed luck and fate for landing her on such a sore spot. Not only had they been so — insert sarcasm here — kind enough to blast Austin with the past of a pretty girl whom Ally can't help but feel so inferior to, they've also managed to bring back that demon Darren from the week before back into her life once again.

And the worst part of this whole thing is, because of the fact that Austin's gonna be too busy trying to make amends with this old girl of his — and the fact that he doesn't remember the grudge Darren has on the both of them — he'll probably not be there to save her when worst comes to worst.

_I'd call him my drunk hero again but he's neither drunk nor my hero._

She supposes that Dallas — oh, the sweet, charming, kind-hearted and concerned young boy; may he be blessed — could come in and go all macho Superman on her and save her but, really, she'd much rather have Austin save her.

'Coz believe it or not, the blonde-haired boy's perfect timing — she again blames fate and luck for this one — and violent retaliation to the situations they were faced with was kind of growing on her, making her somehow think that maybe it really could've been meant-to-be. But obviously, little miss Cassidy — forgive her jealous and sarcastic mind — had to come back with her perfectly straight hair and striking fashion and pretty face and sweep Austin off his feet.

_Why am I even saying this? I don't even like that bastard!_

She puffed her cheeks and inwardly huffed to herself as she folded her arms, completely forgetting about the fact that Darren was still glaring holes into her. She snorted at the thought of liking such a carelessly drunk flirt like Austin, listing to herself all the things that's wrong with him.

_His stupid hair. Pft. It's obviously bleached. And those stupid eyes! They're not even innocent! And I hate the way he's such a cocky bastard and how he's stupid flirtatious ways with girls makes me just wanna pull all my hair out in frustration! And I hate how he loves to get drunk, literally killing himself! And, oh my God, I hate how he makes me swear so much and how he makes break all my morals and I hate how he makes me feel so frustrated and happy all at the same time! And I hate how he stole my very first kiss and how I liked it even when I wanted to so badly hate it and I hate him so much because he gives me all these weird butterflies and he makes me blush and the temperature grows when he's around and...and...and...I hate how much he makes me want him._

Realizing what she had just thought, she gasped out loud, covering her mouth as everyone turned to stare at her with bewildered expressions plastered on their faces. Her eyes went wide as it sunk into her mind what she had just done and what her mind had just said.

All eyes were on her, even those who were playing the match. And a particular blonde-haired boy's brown eyes were staring at her, probably questioning her sanity as she shifted slightly on her seat. The curious and prying eyes that gazed on at her made her feel uneasy and uncomfortable.

Breathing in a large supply of air, she abruptly stood up before quickly making her way pass the other players that sat on the team's bench. Her heart was beating like crazy and thoughts of everything and anything uncontrollably swirled inside her mind, making her feel that much closer to going insane. Her cheeks were blushing red from the embarrassment she felt and her eyes were trying their best to not make any eye-contact with anyone else's; specially his.

And once she was finally out of the cemented court, she ran. She bolted out of the game, her feet taking her to wherever as only one thing out of all that was in her mind stood out.

_I may like — maybe even possibly love — Austin Moon!_

_::: _

She can hear footsteps behind her and she's not sure if she should stop to turn back and look to see who it was or just continue on running and escaping. But, by the hurried thuds it's making, she can already guess that whoever the person was was close to catching up to her.

Her supply of air was easily running out and her feet were growing weak. She doesn't even know where the hell she's heading to but it doesn't bother her. She was stubborn and refused to stop but with each step she took, she felt herself slow down. It was getting harder to breath and at one point, she actually thought she'd literally pass out if she kept on going. So, halting her tracks, she breathed in deeply as much air as she possibly could with her ragged breaths.

Whoever it was that followed her finally caught up to her and stopped right beside her. She could feel by the strong presence that it was a boy and the second she took a glance at who it was, she instantly regretted it. All blood drained out of her face, leaving her completely white and pale as her eyes stared wide in fear at the ginger-haired boy — with that sadistic little smirk of his and malicious eyes that burned with so much lust — before her.

"Darren." She gasped, her heartbeat instantly racing as the boy's smirk grew wide.

"Hello little Miss Ally Dawson." He drawled out, taking one step forward as she took one step back. "Thought you'd never see me again, didn't you?"

"I—I—I'm so sorry for what happened the last time!" She stuttered out, her voice pleading in fear as he just chuckled in response.

"Sorry's not gonna fucking cut it." He said through gritted teeth, unexpectedly grabbing her by the shoulder as she winced in pain.

"Please! It wasn't even me!" She shouted, struggling to get out of Darren's hold as he started to lean into her.

"Shut up." He growled, squeezing her shoulder hard as she cried out in pain. "I'm gonna fucking make you pay. I'll fucking take off all your clothes and fucking fuck you 'til you can't fucking walk and then I'll fucking take pictures of your fucking naked body and fucking post them up online." He breathed out every word, the amount of cursing he's doing caused Ally to flinch as she tried to block out everything he said. "And guess what, little girl? No one's gonna save you this time."

Pulling Ally into him, he pinned her down into the ground as he started to make advances towards her. His lips practically biting down on every inch of her neck as tears of fear and agony spilled out of Ally's eyes; her cries loud and desperate. She struggled to break free but his hold on her was an iron grip and he wasn't planning on letting go any time soon.

Feeling all of a sudden weak and helpless, Ally shut her eyes close, finally giving into the harsh reality that tonight might be the end for her. Everything she's worked for, all down the drain as Darren continually assaulted her with his rough kisses on her neck. She let sleep take over her, letting her cries fade out into the silence of the night's sky.

_:::_

"Ally." Someone whispered into her ears as she unconsciously snuggled into the person's arm.

"Hm?" She asked him, not really aware of who he was or what was going on.

"Don't ever scare me like that again." He says in a voice so sweet and gentle; so full of concern.

"Are you Superman?" She asks him, her eyes still closed as she buried her head deeper into his chest, inhaling in the wonderful scent of a fresh summer breeze.

"No." He laughed a little, the sound of it being slightly bitter yet slightly proud. "I'm better than him."

"Then who are you?" She mutters, feeling herself drift off into la-la-land once again.

"Your drunk hero."

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**-x-**

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**IMPORTANT!**

Here's a little quick A/N before I go. I give you complete permission to kill me. I'm sorry but, I was really rushing & those who follow me on Twitter will definitely know how much I've been moaning about my lost of 'inspiration'... It's not even writer's block -.- Sorry. & erm, I needed to update before Friday 'coz I'll be gone for like four days, away to camping but hopefully after camping I'll be back on long updates every Friday. This chapter is more or less an introduction to some drama & I really hope the quality makes up for the shortness... If not, er...forgive me? Okay, right, inspire me with your reviews, please? :) PS – I loved writing Cassidy in this & I loved how I explained her & Austin's...I don't know how to say it.


	9. Chapter Nine – HSOFDWH part one

**Like a Playboy**

_Chapter Nine – Her Sort of First Date with Him (part one)_

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**-x-**

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**Summary: **He's always been some sort of a playboy & she's always been some sort of a goody-two-shoes. But it's okay 'coz it's her & it's him & somehow, they still fit to be the perfect two. Austin&Ally. Auslly. AU.

**Rating: **Rated T for strong language & drunk scenes :)

**Inspiration: **Well, it's a cliché idea but, I've wanted to put Austin into that playboy kind of character for awhile now but, I just really hadn't conjured up a good plot for a fic so, I didn't. But after a little incident down town with my friends, I finally got it! & well, here's what came out of it :P

**A/N: **So erm, before I tell you stuff you need to know for this chapter, I wanna clear things up a little bit for the last chapter. A) No, no. She did not get rape. Her 'drunk hero' actually got to her in time. B) So, he says that he's her 'drunk hero' & I clearly didn't think that bit through but, after a long & hard thought of trying to piece this whole thing together, I've come up with the perfect reason & altogether the perfect plot for the fic itself. So, from now on, you guys should really keep a watchful eye. I'll be dropping hints every now & then of what this whole thing's gonna lead to, kay? C) I completely forgot to mention the fact that it was Dallas, the guy Ally talked to when she ran away. & well, that's all there is to know really. Now, this is the first part of a two-part chapter & er, it's inspired by this tagalog song called 'Pagibig' by Kitchie Nadal, 'Baby Blue Eyes' by Rocket to the Moon & 'Jamie All Over' by Mayday Parade. & special thanks to my Twitter friends for keeping me motivated & helping (forcing) me to stay up & write this chapter ;* I'll be updating the second part for Monday :)

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Austin&Ally & I never will but one of these days, I'll meet Ross Lynch & Laura Marano in person :')

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**-x-**

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She can't forget the touch of his lips on her own as he stole her very first kiss that very first day of school and she remembers how tight he hugs her — with those strong arms of his wrapping around her small and fragile waist — every time they did. She's somehow getting used to the smell of Breezer because in an unusual yet perfect way, it mixes in well with his fresh summer breeze of a scent that's hinted with that little bit of a chocolate waft.

She non-admittedly thinks that the clothes he wore perfectly suit that crazy and outgoing personality of his and that it really complemented his well-toned body. She likes his messy bleached-blonde hair and she loves how well those shining brown eyes of his goes with that charming and boyish smile he owns.

(And whenever she thinks back to the fact that she's only met him two weeks ago, she laughs a little in a bittersweet manner 'coz she thinks it's ironic how short of a time could make such big of an impact.)

Then she starts thinking of statistics, counting down the days of how long she's known him for — two weeks; fourteen days, to be exact — and the amount of times she's seen him intimately close in person. She counts the times she's seen his drunk side and somehow, she finds it funny that he's managed to save her little ass drunk more than once.

She knows for a fact that she's written about three or five songs about him and that her book was slowly being filled with incomplete lyrics that's mostly inspired by him. And then for a split second, she reminds herself that it took her one-fifth of a second to realize how much she was falling for him.

She then starts to think back on thoughts of the day they first met and she thinks it's pretty cliché how accidental fate had brought them together. She thinks back to how he saved her ass that very day and she laughs because she knows she'll probably be the only one to remember how he became her 'drunk hero'.

She also can't get out of her mind how flirty he had been that same night and she feels her heart skip a beat whenever she recalls the way he had mouthed an 'I love you' to her. And then all of a sudden, her mind would go back to the fact that no matter how special that memory may now seem to her, he probably will never ever know of it.

So here she is now, lying in bed on a Sunday morning, wondering and thinking over to herself of how she got here. How she got to the point in which she didn't have to question what she felt for him anymore 'coz right now, it seemed to all be so clear.

She likes him. No; she doesn't want to admit that she loves him just yet but she definitely likes him. And that one thought scares her because she doesn't want to like him 'coz he's Austin Moon and he's a flirt, a playboy, an alcoholic bastard who's possibly in love with that Cassidy girl & he's her friend.

_Had I walked away from him the first day of school and rejected his offer of friendship, I probably wouldn't be in this predicament. But then, I don't ever regret meeting Austin. I'm too used to having him around and save me and I don't wanna feel life without him ever again. It's only been two weeks yet the impact his presence has on my life is ironically great and...to be honest, I don't mind it as long as he's with me._

But Ally's somewhat of a masochist. She found in herself that she finds the better happiness when having to give up something to gain something else. She sees satisfaction in having Austin around even with the fact that all the shit he does ends up hurting her. She doesn't want to mind it 'coz she wants to accept him as who he is.

(That thought, sadly, only makes her feel like laughing in that sardonic manner because she's sure he doesn't give one flying fuck about her.)

Although, all those times he's saved her would beg to differ. Because four times he's saved her and four times she's watched his back protecting her and in all those four times, she never once had a doubt that he cared.

The very first time he saved her, she thought of her old Superman and how they're almost so the same with those chocolate brown eyes. She thought of how coincidental it had been and how lucky she was that very moment it in time. But then she thinks back to the third time he saved her and how calling him Superman sparked so much raged in him. She doesn't want to make that mistake of calling him the one name he hates so much so, she let the Superman thought slide and settled for calling him her 'drunk hero'.

When he was there, saving her and her dad that second time around, she couldn't even believe how seemingly meant-to-be that moment was. And when he saved her that one last time, for the first time without any alcohol in him — as far as she could tell — it just proved just how much he cared for her and that fact that he did, at some point, try to keep his promise really warmed her heart and made her smile.

_Four times he's saved me... Wait, no. Five times. Five times that boy saved me._

And then all of a sudden, her thoughts somehow managed to flick back to Wednesday night and how at that point in time, she felt like it was the absolute end for her. She can hardly remember what happened but she swears she heard screaming and she knows for a definite fact that the lingering stench of blood was there as well as that little hint of alcohol.

She can't exactly remember how she got out of that night alive but she knows there's a reason why she woke up on Thursday morning — safe and secure — lying on her bed. She doesn't remember at all how but, every now and then her mind would give her little snippets of the dreaded events. Although, before she could even try to piece them together, they disappear and she then suddenly forgets them all.

She wanted to ask Austin about it because even with the fact that the whole night had been a blur to her, she definitely knows he was the one to save her; she's sure of it. She couldn't though because he still hasn't been back to school and she'd ask Dez but apparently now, that red-haired boy has gone off as well.

_But I need to know what the hell happened to me!_

Sighing in frustration, she shut her eyes close as she tried to bring back the memory of that night. She breathed in deeply the air around her little room as pieces and pieces of that night's events came together, somehow forming a very vivid conversation that she could never understand.

_"You don't always have to be so macho all the time, Austin. Even Superman needs to be Clark Kent every once in awhile."_

_"Pft. That's the difference between me and Superman. I don't need another persona 'coz I'm strong both ways."_

_"That's a lie and you know it. You fucking know you need alcohol, just like Superman needs his guise."_

_"Superman's not me and I will never be anything like that thief of a bastard."_

_"I can't believe you still haven't let that go. It's been twelve years Austin. I think it's time you moved on from your childish jealousy."_

_"Fuck that. We're not having this conversation. Not now, not later and not ever."_

_"No we're not Austin 'coz you're just too scared to admit that outside this stupid bad boy shit you put up, you're still that same ol' immature blonde kid you were twelve years ago!"_

_"No. I've definitely changed."_

The memory stops there and everything else all seemed like a blank to her. Even when she opens her eyes, all she felt was emptiness and inside, the curiosity was killing her and tearing her apart. She needed to know what happened that night and she needed answers. She didn't want to be left in the shadows anymore and her patience was running thin.

But, there's one thing she's so definitely sure of. It's the fact that that night, the reason that she's still alive and still a virgin — thank God for that — was all thanks to the fact that Austin had been her 'drunk hero' once again.

_No. He's no Superman. He's better._

_:::_

The pain was excruciating. There was a dull strain of the muscles shooting up his leg that synchronized with the sharp ache spreading all over his head. He gritted his teeth as he breathed out ragged and heavy breaths of air while sweat dripped all over his body. He can feel the trickling of blood down his open-stitched leg and he closed shut his eyes with his face scrunched up in agony as he felt himself both be mentally and physically tortured.

He couldn't take it anymore. The pain was too much to bare sitting down so he tried to stand up, only to fall back down with his leg collapsing under his heavy weight. The dullness of the pain up his leg turned sharp and he screamed as more blood gushed out of it.

"Fuck sake!" He yelled out to no one in particular as he gripped onto his knee, the temperature within his body rapidly rising.

Silence surrounded him as darkness filled his whole living room; not even the slightest ray of sunshine peeked in through the blinded windows. The air around him was thick and hot while bottles of Breezer and Vodka lay around the him along with cans of Coke and Pepsi.

He lay shirtless on the carpeted floor with only his basketball shorts on. He hasn't changed in four days and he knows he's stinking but he couldn't fucking care less. His stomach was empty, growling at him for food — since he hasn't eaten in four days — but he doesn't listen.

The shit he's going through was too much and he doesn't know how the hell he'd be able to move with each piece of stitch up his leg opening up. So, he doesn't dare try to.

_I knew it'd hurt but I didn't think it'd cause me this much suffering!_

He sighed out in pain, gently running a calloused finger over the open stitch up his leg, slightly wincing each time his finger grazes a little against it. He bit hard at his bottom lip, trying to keep himself from screaming out in a banshee state due to the burning strain up his leg, panting after as more sweat came out of his body.

_I fuck all hate this shit._

He closed his eyes for a minute, trying to keep thoughts of the torture he was right now trying to endure from entering his mind. There was only one other thing that he dared to think about as he tried to let go of all the other unwanted musings.

His blood boiled while flashes of his conversation with Darren that Wednesday night took over his mind. He gripped tighter onto his knee as he bit harder at his bottom lip, the flashbacks of his past finally catching up to him, making it all a little too much for him to bare.

_"What the fuck are you? Her Superman?" Darren screamed at him as he pushed the unconscious Ally over to Austin who effortlessly caught her._

_"Stop calling me that!" Austin screamed back at him, holding Ally tight against his chest with his arms snaked around her petite little waist._

_"Then why the hell do you always have to show up with your fucking drunk ass to fucking save her all the time?" Darren's voice rose up high, the amplitude of it being greater than ever as he glared daggers at the boy in front of him whilst he grit his teeth hard._

_"I'm not even fucking drunk and how the fuck would you know anyway?" Confusion laced Austin's voice as the soft innocence of his brown eyes turned cold and dark with anger._

_"Pft. Please Austin. I saw you drink a bottle of Jack Daniels near the shed right before the match started!" Darren's tone was both mocking and serious as his eyes sparked in a taunting manner, somehow daring Austin to come closer. He let his lips form just a little bit of a smirk as he took one step forward before continuing to speak, saying, "And anyway, it's not like this is the first you saved her from me."_

_"The fuck are you talking about?" Austin was getting frustrated and it was quite evident through the irritated tone in his voice. His dark brown eyes were narrowed as his grip on Ally tightened._

_"That last day of summer at the carnival, remember?" Darren raised an eyebrow up — one that is exactly the same color as his hair — as the smirk he had on grew wider with more malice. He chuckled a little, taking another step forward as he spoke, saying, "Or maybe you were just too drunk to think of the fuck shit you did."_

_"I don't fucking know what you're talking about!" Austin screamed out with his eyes burning with the fire of anger as he took a step back, holding onto Ally for dear life — feeling in himself scared that if he let her go now, she'd be gone forever._

_"Tsk. Whatever." Shaking his head in mock-disappointment, Darren brought up those malicious eyes of his to stare up at Austin, his lips still intact with his wide smirk. "Stop being such a wannabe Superman and just for once stop being such a pussy and be the Austin that I used to know."_

_Austin's eyes turned dark as he slowly let go of Ally. She nearly fell down to the ground right before he caught her with one arm, lifting her up after with his other arm. He walked away from Darren, gently setting her down onto the sidewalk before turning back to look into Darren's blue eyes of mischief that were tormenting him; reminding him of the boy he used to be._

_"The Austin you used to know wasn't the real Austin." He muttered through gritted teeth while his brown eyes glared hard at Darren's green ones. "That Austin's long fucking gone."_

_"Really? 'Coz I thought that Austin would be back, considering Cassidy's back." Darren's smirk grew even wider than it already was, turning it into one evil and malicious grin. His eyes flickered with a teasing and mocking spark as he started walking towards Austin; each step he took thundering over the cemented street. He looked Austin dead in the eye as he spoke and said, "After all, didn't you tell Cassidy that you've never been more yourself before than when you're with her?"_

_Austin's eyes grew wide as he clamped his mouth shut, pressing his lips tight together into a thin line with his teeth totally clenched. His glare just turned more and more vicious as he balled his hand into a very tight fist, his whole body shaking while the temperature within him feverishly rose._

_"Fuck up!" He yelled out, stomping his foot hard onto the ground as he tried his best to rid his thoughts of memories of the past that slowly crept up on him. "Shut fuck up!"_

_"Is that why you needed alcohol tonight Austin? 'Coz you can't cope with seeing her again?" Darren's eyes flickered with amusement as that evil little grin he had on never went away. Instead, it just grew more and more in malice as he mockingly raised his eyebrow up at Austin. He spoke in such a teasing voice — that drove Austin nearly to the brink of insanity — as he said, "After all this time, you're still not over her?"_

_"Fuck up Darren! Just shut the fuck up!" Austin cried out as he closed his eyes shut, covering his ears while he tried to shake away all the flashbacks that dared to currently flood his mind._

_"You're pathetic." Darren spat out, the grin on his face completely gone as the glare in his eyes turned devilishly serious. He took a few steps towards the blonde haired boy and halted right when he was just a mere few inches away from close contact with him. "She's over you Austin." He whispers through gritted teeth, his hand balled into a fist and ready to attack. "She's fucking over you."_

_"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" And just like how Darren had expected it, Austin yelled out at the top of his lungs right before lunging forward at him, starting the riot between them two ex-friends._

His eyes snapped open as he came out of his reminiscing daydream, panting harder than ever as he felt even more sweat ooze out of his body. He felt the air around him grow even hotter than before and he could almost swear he's gonna suffocate any time soon. The pain up his leg had disappeared and as he carefully touched it with his little finger, he winced at how numb it had felt.

He breathed in deeply the hot air surrounding him, feeling a little better as he found his earlier mindless state the perfect tranquilizer for the pain he had felt.

His brown eyes gazed down onto the floor as he recalled bittersweet memories of him and that one particular girl with that beautiful straight hair — that seemed to be a mix of the colors strawberry blonde, auburn and brown — and mischievous blue eyes that complimented her swaggering smirk.

Memories of her nickname for him — Blondie, she used to call him — and their crazy misadventures of their three-day drive to Vegas and the party up in her rooftop where they shared cigarettes and drunkenly made out with their legs dangling up the edge of that red-bricked roof came flooding back to him. He remembers the two of them walking down the street — extremely high on Vodka — at three in the morning, singing out loud nonsensical lyrics they both came up with as she twirled around barefoot on the cemented sidewalk. He can also recall dancing in the rain with her up at the beach that early summer day as they waited for the sun to come up and rise.

The memories where overwhelming and he swears he can almost feel himself cry but then, something changed. The sunny skies of his wonderful memories were turning dim as the dark clouds of thunder shadowed over him, reminding him of the time when she left.

The pain came back, this time mentally attacking him as he clutched his head and curled up on the floor, scornfully screaming out the agony he felt as his days of being trapped inside that solitary confinement came rushing back to him, reminding him of that unbearable mental suffering he went through.

Her words of rejection echoed throughout his mind as he chanted over and over his head how she fell out of love with him and how he could never let go of her. He screamed out as he felt the numbness of his leg go away, replaced with that sharp pain it once had while his mind tortured itself with images of that dreaded solitude he once was confined in. His breathing slowed and his heartbeat raced and he almost felt himself choke at the lack of air as he drowned himself in emotional turmoil.

And all of a sudden, something brought him out of his sudden paroxysm, clearing out all the dark clouds of his mind.

Soft brown curly hair that dances and bounces with every slight movement and chocolate brown eyes swirled with so much unfathomable emotion. A smile so genuinely warm, sending rampaging butterflies to dance inside his stomach and cause his cheeks to redden along with a hand so gentle, with it's fingers wrapping 'round his wrist, shooting up electric sparks all over his body.

_Ally Dawson._

Those two words, that name, that one girl; he loved her.

He loved her hair and those eyes and her smile and the touch of her skin against his. He loved how she cared and the fact that she's not scared to tell him how she feels and how amazing that voice of hers is and how nice that mix of vanilla and winter scent she owns smells like. He loves her shyness, her dorky yet adorable personality and how cute she looks when she's blushing or biting her lip. He loves her love for pickles and her awkward dancing and the simple yet pretty clothes she chooses to wear and how she doesn't need make-up to look beautiful.

He loves the soft feel of her lips on his and her perfectly perfect innocence and how chaste yet hesitant she is when kissing him and he loves the taste of her lips; like bittersweet strawberries — not like Cassidy with the taste of nicotine and WKD all mixed into one. He loves her thin and fragile frame and the feeling of having the need to take care of her because it makes him feel wanted and needed.

He loved every little thing about her and he doesn't care if she's not like Cassidy with the cursing and drinking and the smoking and partying and the dancing and flirting — the everything. He doesn't care 'coz he loved Ally and he found her perfectly perfect the way she is.

_Yes, yes. I love her._

He smiled a little as he felt the pain slowly drain away from his whole body. The emotional wreck that he had been has now long gone as he let his calm eyes look up to wander at the pictures within those lovely wooden picture frames hanging up on the walls. He sighed in contentment as his eyes landed on one particular picture, taken about twelve years ago.

_Superman, huh?_

He stood up, still staring at the picture as he walked just a little bit closer to it. The smile on his lips never left as his eyes sparked in fondness of a particular memory the picture held significance to.

_I need to see her._

And with that thought in mind, he turned to look away from the picture before limping up to his room to go get changed. The pain up his leg has finally subsided into nothing but numbness as the mental torture he earlier on went through became long forgotten.

And with one more little glance at the picture, he smiled, only one thought swirling around his head.

_I need to see Ally._

_:::_

Pastel pink and frilly, her floral dress ran up to her knees, complimented with the her white lacy vest. She wore her usual tan brogue high-heeled boots with those short ankle socks and her wrists sported an assortment of different pastel colored vintage accessories. Her pretty brown hair was naturally curly with it's bangs clipped to the side, preventing them from hiding those beautiful baby brown eyes of hers that went perfectly well with her adorable little smile.

And as she looked herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but wonder if the simplicity of her face and her plain choice of style seem as beautiful to other people like it may seem to her.

She wonders if people saw her eyes as pretty and sparkly as she saw them and she also wonders if that small fake smile tugging on her lips seem as believable to other people as she had hoped. She wonders, do they see her like the way her mother once saw her?

_That's ridiculous. Only mom would ever think of me as beautiful._

She sighed to herself, gently brushing off strands of her fallen hair away from her face, tucking them all behind her ear. She smiles slightly, happy memories of the days her mom still lived replaying inside her mind as she breathed in the breezy and warm air — smelling slightly the homey scent of that little winter waft — that surrounded her room whilst slowly closing her eyes.

_I miss mom._

And for a moment, she found herself stuck inside her own little reverie, daydreaming of a world where Austin liked (loved) her back and a world in which her mom was still alive and her dad didn't drink and she didn't have stage fright. A world where her morals where rules that no one ever dared to break and a world where Cassidy didn't come in between the way of her and Austin. She daydreamed of a world where she can dance and she was beautiful — like her mom used to tell her — and a world in which she lived in a house filled with baskets and baskets of pickles.

_The perfect world._

Visions of her dreams were suddenly disrupted by the incessant tapping on her balcony's glassy doors. And as she slowly and hesitantly opened her eyes, she couldn't help but widen them in shock as a small and surprised smile graced her lips.

There standing right outside her room, over at her balcony — wearing his red and white letterman jacket and red t-shirt along with his usual ripped jeans and red Supra high-tops — was none other than the one and only Austin Moon with his usual and conceited little smirk and sparkling brown eyes of innocence.

"Austin?" She nearly screamed out as he rolled his eyes before winking.

"The one and only." He said, his cocky smirk still intact as he gestured for her to come forward and open the door. "Let me in."

"Oh!" She exclaimed, rushing over to him before clumsily fumbling with the handle of the balcony's sliding glass door.

"Hey." He says, as he watched her from behind their transparent barrier. "You look pretty."

"Thanks." She breathlessly mumbled, finally sliding open the door.

He stumbled in, his smirk turning into a happy and childish grin as the sparkling of his eyes grew brighter, almost blinding Ally who couldn't help but stare up at him — unconsciously biting her bottom lip.

"I missed you." He look down on her, his grin so charming and boyish, causing Ally's little heart to go on an extreme beating rampage.

"I—er, me too." She stuttered, turning to look down at the ground as her cheeks blushed red.

Silence filled the air of the room as they both looked away from each other with Austin busy awkwardly scratching the back of his neck and Ally nervously chewing at her bottom lip.

There was nothing else either of them wanted to say because their sudden confession seemed to be enough to overwhelm the both of them, leaving them both completely speechless. Austin's once unstable mind relaxed and calmed under the spell that was Ally's reply while Austin's admittance of missing her completely threw her off-guard, sending her thoughts to swirl in complete turmoil.

He didn't really plan on what he'd do with her today but now he doesn't care. All he ever wants to do this day is be with her and forget all the shit that had been earlier running through his mind because, the truth is, they don't matter. Right now, all that really matters is Ally and being with Ally.

He doesn't care about Cassidy and the shit that girl put him through and he tries to forget the stinging blow his pride got from Darren's torment. He couldn't give two shits about Dez' philosophical speech on his hate for Superman and he doesn't mind that numb and dull pain his leg is currently feeling.

He doesn't give a fuck because the most important thing to him right at this moment is the brunette girl that stood right in front of him with those caring brown eyes and worried smile.

_It's Austin and Ally's day today._

With that one thought running through his mind, he smiled as he walked over to Ally, gently tugging at her wrist as she looked up at him with curious brown eyes that made his heart beat million times faster. His palms turned sweaty and he couldn't help but feel his throat run dry as he stared down at her luscious pink lips.

He leaned down a bit 'til his lips were barely touching her ear, his warm breath trickling down on it's soft skin as her own breath got caught in her throat.

"Let's go out today." He whispered into that ever-so-sensitive ear of hers as her brown eyes went wide at them words he spoke of. "Just me and you. Us; Austin and Ally."

Hearing that, she seemed to have lost her voice and she couldn't help but feel her cheeks heat up. She swallowed hard the lump that formed in her throat while she inhaled in his familiar scent, sending shivers to run up and down her spine. Her head started to spin with questions of confusions as she nodded weakly in response to him.

He beamed at her, quite satisfied with her answer as he quickly grabbed her little ol' hand, lacing those calloused fingers of his with her delicate ones. A huge and genuinely happy grin played on his lips as he jumped up and down on her carpeted floor, screaming out in glee and excitement as he twirled her around while she laughed out loud at his childish antics.

"You, Ally Dawson, will not regret this." He cheekily told her, still twirling her around with his hand still keeping a hold of hers as she tried to keep her balance. He smiled that boyishly charming smile of his once again, the spark in his eyes having a very contagiously gleaming twinkle before he leaned down to continue speaking in a gentle and husky tone, whispering at her, "I promise."

"I don't think I will." She smiled warmly at him as she halted her little dance of twirls, staring intently into his brown eyes before tiptoeing up a bit and kissing him lightly on his left cheek.

He grinned wide, trying to hide that creeping blush he felt on his cheeks as he leaned back, nervously running his free hand through that blonde hair of his.

_Yeah. I definitely love her._

_:::_

He's dreading it. Her pulling him into that familiar street, that familiar ally and down to that familiar turn of the road. His heart beat in an unreasonably fast rate as he felt his stomach clench, making him go sick and in need of throwing up.

He didn't want to tell her that he didn't want to go down to that God-forsaken place because the excitement lighting up her whole face was too cute to resist. He knows his gut was right now screaming at him to turn back around and just drag her off and take her out to a place somewhere so faraway from here but, he couldn't. He felt his whole body stiff and out of his control that all he could do was let her lead the way down to the one place in all of Miami he's tried so hard to get away from.

"Melody Diner has got to be my most favorite restaurant ever!" Ally eagerly exclaimed as she held onto Austin's wrist, her whole body radiating off warm glee.

"Uh-huh." Austin muttered in much-less enthusiasm as the colors of his eyes darkened in both worry and rage.

"I mean, what's better than a place with amazing chicken-pot-pies and music? Nothing! They even give out free pickles on the side!" The brunette girl continued to ramble on, not noticing the sudden change in the blonde-haired boy's behavior.

Austin didn't speak at all. He just continually stared down at the ground, the hair at the back of his neck standing up and his whole body going tense with each step he took. The dark look in his eyes turned extremely hard and cold as Ally's chatter fadded out, drowning within the sudden thoughts and memories swarming inside his mind.

His mind filled itself with days dated back to two years ago when Melody Diner was his hangout spot with those old friends of his and the times when he and Cassidy would sneak out of work to make-out at the back of the parking lot. He remembers smoking his first stick of cigarette right outside the kitchen when he first asked her out and she rejected him 'coz he wasn't into anything she liked.

He could almost feel in his tongue the sour taste of nicotine and his lungs started to ache, almost as if the burning sensation of the smoke passing throug it was coming back, making him suffocate. He starts to cough out loud, trying to rid himself of the make-believe pipe of smoke he thinks he's exhaled as his mind did it's best to try and forget those unwanted memories.

And just when he thinks he's about to go into the abyss of oblivion, a light touch on his cheeks pulls him back up to reality and all of a sudden, the visions of his past had gone, replacing it with the sight of brown worried eyes that stared down at him in such concern.

He let out a shaky breath as he scanned the place around him, finally realizing that he had fallen on his ass down to the ground and was now sitting on the cemented sidewalk. He placed a wandering hand over to his right cheek only to feel someone else's soft gentle hand carressing it and he couldn't help but gape at the brunette girl who stood bending forward right in front of him.

"Are you okay?" She asked with her sweet gentle voice and for a second he's almost convinced it was an angel.

He breathed in deeply before giving her a slightly crooked and sheepish smile, making her laugh out lightly in a hearty manner. She then offered him her hand as he gladly took it with her pulling him back up to stand.

"Thanks." He muttered, dusting off his pants as he smiled slightly at her.

He gently let her hand go as he bent down, trying to take in as much air as possible to help calm his raging nerves down while Ally stood back at the sidelines, eying him wearily. Her arms were folded and her lips were pressed into a thin line that dared to turn into a slight frown.

"You know, we don't have to go there if you don't want to." She tells him, her voice strong and stern as her eyes flickered dangerously.

"I'm fine." He grunted as he turned to look her in the eye, seeing her brown worried eyes flash a sudden emotion he can't quite comprehend.

"No, you're not." She whispers before shaking her head and sighing. "You're not fine Austin and it's alright if you're not. You don't have to act like a superhero all the time."

"I know." He smiled bitterly before turning his head away from her, looking down straight at the ground. "I'm no Superman."

She smiles a little before she gently took him by the hand, lacing their fingers together before taking a few steps closer to him and hugging him with her free hand's arm wrapping 'round his neck. She tiptoes a bit, bringing her lips that much closer to his ear as he whispers into it, her breath hot against his skin.

"You're better." She says, causing him to smile as his hold on her hand tightened whilst his other hand gently carressed the sides of her waist. She giggled at the electric shocks sparking up as he touched her before letting out breatlessly, "You're my drunk hero."

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**-x-**

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**IMPORTANT!**

I've not much to say except, beware of a really long A/N next chapter. & forgive me for the lateness. If you followed me on Twitter, you'd know how much I'm cursing my procrastinating habits for this. & er, I stayed up all night typing this chapter so, please show some appreciation & review? & btw, I think I'm losing my sanity with my lack of sleep so...yeah. Kay, bye. Oh, & excuse my crappy beta-reading, like I said: LACK OF SLEEP. Oh, & if you do review (please review) tell me exactly what you think is going on so I know if you understand the story or not. 'Kay? Okay. Bye. Btw, I abbreviated the chapter title 'coz it wouldn't fit.

**PS - **I accidentally double pasted two sections so I thought I had 11k words up... Turns out it was only 5ke or so & I'm pretty pissed about that. Sorry. Hope the quality of this chapter & the erm, Auslly moments made up for it :) & I'm sorry if this chapter was a disappointment.


	10. Chapter Ten – HSOFDWH part two

**Like a Playboy**

_Chapter Ten – Her Sort of First Date with Him part two_

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**-x-**

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**Summary: **He's always been some sort of a playboy & she's always been some sort of a goody-two-shoes. But it's okay 'coz it's her & it's him & somehow, they still fit to be the perfect two. Austin&Ally. Auslly. AU.

**Rating: **Rated T for strong language & drunk scenes :)

**Inspiration: **Well, it's a cliché idea but, I've wanted to put Austin into that playboy kind of character for awhile now but, I just really hadn't conjured up a good plot for a fic so, I didn't. But after a little incident down town with my friends, I finally got it! & well, here's what came out of it :P

**A/N: **Hello! Welcome to Austin & Ally's date part deux of trois. & if you don't speak French, it means this is the second part of three parts & it's a pretty weird chapter to be quite honest with you all. Erm, I'll explain most of the end bit later on but for now I just wanna say this is inspired by the songs 'Superhero' by Cher Lloyd, 'Baby Blue Eyes' by Rocket to the Moon & some other things... Anyway, I really don't have anything else to say so, enjoy? & I'm sorry for any f-bombs I drop 'coz there might slightly be a lot in this one. Okay. Don't forget to review ^^ & erm, I slightly renewed another technique near the start & I don't know if it worked so, tell me what you think? :) Oh, & warning, not beta-read properly so if you hate mistakes that much, just wait 'til Monday, 'kay? :) & btw, I used this chapter as a practice for the next one so erm...yeah. Just thought I'd let you guys know.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Austin&Ally & I never will but one of these days, I'll meet Ross Lynch & Laura Marano in person :)

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**-x-**

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Austin had a kind of effect on Ally that no other person has. To her, he was the drug that takes her way high on cloud nine — standing right at the very top of the mountains — giving her sweaty palms, blushing cheeks, a butterfly-filled stomach and an incredibly fast-beating heart. He was the boy that made her smile (a lot a lot) for no special reason and the one boy that made her feel so damn nervous yet safe and secure all at the same time.

She sees his smile and she just feels like melting on the spot and when he gives her that playfully flirty wink of his, she feels herself almost fainting. His eyes are so beautiful to look at and it makes her wonder how she got to be so lucky to be able to see the sparkling brown that they really are. And she knows it's been through her mind a million and one times how his bleached-blonde hair is so perfectly messy but, she just can't help but not get over it.

(Mostly because she thinks no person who bleaches their hair that much could ever have hair still so perfectly soft and perfectly fluffy and perfectly _perfect_.)

She loves his voice most of all. The angelic cliché that she calls it doesn't even scratch the surface of how amazing that boy's talent really is. And whenever she hears him sing — like that time they wrote that song or when she hears him silently hum some unfamiliar tune to himself when he thinks she's daydreaming and not paying attention — she can't help but just feel so contented because his voice was just that calming and just that amazing.

But she knows he's not all that perfect. She knows that beneath the rainbow and pot of gold — don't even ask — front he has, he's a right mess.

She knows he's a crazy-ass drunk — she has yet to find out exactly why — and she also knows that he's the type of guy who likes to run away when the problems come crashing at him. She knows he's incredibly violent and wreckless and stubborn and that he worries her way too much.

She knows all the fucking mess that he can be and she doesn't care — she doesn't mind one bit at all — because to her, he was one beautiful disaster.

(Of course she'd never tell him that 'coz she knows he'll just laugh and think she's crazy.)

So as they both sat together on the swings at the park — with the breezy wind gently blowing pass them, carrying that contented and comfortable silence wrapped up within it's air — she just couldn't help but stare up at him and think to herself all the wonderful things he was that he probably didn't see within him.

_My God, he's beautiful._

He turns his head a little to look back at her and for a few seconds — maybe even minutes — their brown eyes were staring off at each others; both minds set on deep thinking and musings. The temperature rose a little bit and Ally could feel her cheeks go red while Austin felt his palms start to sweat. Little by little, their heads were leaning into each other, their lips sparking up in high voltage — impatiently waiting for that hype of a touch to happen with all the cliché of sparks and fireworks — whilst both of them shut their eyes close in the heat of the moment.

And just when they both thought their thin line of friendship had been crossed — with their lips exactly three centimeters apart — a small droplet of the beginning of a light showering rain fell onto Ally's nose, making her snap her eyes open.

"Austin." She called out to him, making him raise his eyebrow up in confusion as he kept his eyes closed.

Ally sighed while getting up the swing, more droplets of rain falling as she lightly patted his cheek with her warm hand. He slowly opened his eyes to stare at her in question but she just smiled at him — her small genuine smile — before pointing up towards the sky. He looked up and felt water drop down onto his eyes, causing him to wince yet smile at the same time as she just laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the swing and dragging him away.

"You wouldn't want to get sick now." She tells him blissfully with her hair dripping wet as the light shower of rain turned slightly heavy.

"Nope." He mutters, holding tight her soaking wet hand that still felt warm under the mask of the freezing cold water.

She pulled him with her, silently watching him from the corner of her eye as he took off his letterman jacket — making it obvious his well-toned muscles as his red shirt stuck to his skin — before he draped it over her head and hugged her from behind, wrapping one arm around her neck.

"Are you cold?" He asked her in a whisper, burying his nose down to the crook of her neck.

"A little bit." She says, halting her walk as the feel of Austin's warm body radiated off onto her. "You?"

"I'm fine." He says and she could feel him smirk against her sensitive bare neck. "You keep me warm."

"Don't you need your jacket?" She asks, holding tight his hand as her throat went a little dry along with her heart beating a little bit faster than usual.

"Nope." He said curtly, dropping his hold on her down to her waist and tightening it.

"Austin..." She trails off, feeling herself breathless and at lost for words.

"I know the perfect place we can crash to while it's still raining." He whispers as he gave her one very tight squeeze before letting her go.

"Where?" She asks him, tilting her head in that adorable and confused way that never fails to make Austin blush.

"You'll see." He said, grinning at her as well as trying to keep his cool when he felt his cheeks go almost completely red.

Unexpectedly, he pulled Ally towards him before dragging her off to God-knows-where; the grin on his lips still perfectly intact as Ally smiled brightly with her brown eyes gleaming in excitement.

'Coz even though she hated (hated) surprises, this one she thinks will be worth it.

(Mostly 'coz it's Austin Moon and to her, Austin Moon will always be worth it.)

_:::_

Ally never expected this. Of all places Austin could have taken her to, she would've actually never _ever_ expected it to be here. She knew he was childish but, there really is a thin line between that and actually being insane.

(And it seems like Austin Moon has yet again crossed another one of those ever-so-famous lines.)

So she stood there with her mouth agape, staring off at those four years old children running amok all over the place with their ice cream covered faces and shoe-less little feet. She could smell that delicious and tempting scent of the greasy food being cooked down there at the corner where adults had their small little talks and she could hear the sounds of plastic hitting plastic as them little devil kids dived into the pool of plastic balls.

Her eyebrow shot way up in question and she really did start to wonder about Austin's sanity. Her eyes were wide in amazement, amusement and comical disbelief as the boy beside her grinned proudly whilst he excitedly looked over the vast indoor play pent.

"Isn't this so cool?" He asked, the eager giddiness he felt clearly evident in the tone of his voice.

"Why?" Was all Ally could let out in such a speechless state. She turned to look at him, the same look still plastered all over her face as she grabbed him by the shoulders and vigorously shook him while she continued to speak on, saying, "Of all places you could actually take me to, why here?"

"'Coz it's awesome here!" He said, playfully rolling his eyes as his mouth continued to form that excited grin. He gently brushed Ally's hands off his shoulder as he spoke and said, "It's awesome here Ally! I mean, you've got delicious food right at the corner, the ice cream's amazing tasting and we can run around crazy wild like these kids and no one would care 'coz the adults' opinions don't matter and no teenager in their right set of mind would ever come here."

"Exactly Austin. No teenager in their right set of mind would ever come here!" Ally blurted out, waving her hands up in frustration.

"Ally, Ally, Ally." Austin said, smirking as he chanted Ally's name out in such a taunting manner that caused a vein to pop up her head. "This is exactly why we're here!"

"Why?" She challenged him, standing up on her tippy-toes — God, the effect the place has on her is already immediate; she said 'tippy-toes'! — to properly glare at his mischievous little eyes.

"'Coz you're so uptight! You don't know how to let lose and have fun!" Austin exclaimed as he waved his hands all over the place, over-exaggerating his exact point. "These kids can definitely teach you how to loosen up and just be for once free! Free of stress from your little morals and whatever the hell rules you've put up for yourself! It's time for you to actually have some fun."

"I am fun!" Ally huffed, standing back flat on her feet — or heels but, it doesn't really matter — as she folded her arms in an irate manner while puffing her cheeks. "I'm super fun!"

"Sure you are." Austin nodded mockingly at her as he rolled his eyes.

Ally was about to open her mouth to protest at him but he just unexpectedly grabbed her by the arm and pushed her down onto the top of the counter. Too in shock of what he did to say anything else, all Ally could do was just sit and stare with her mouth wide open as Austin took her boots off her before he took his own shoes off.

"You'll have fun Ally. I promise." He whispers at her with a soft and longing voice that makes her totally give in. He looked up at her, his eyes pleading at her in all seriousness as a small pout graced his lips. "Embrace your inner childhood. Please? For me?"

She couldn't help it. She had to say 'Yes'. She just had to. Because the begging look in his eyes was too hard to resist and she couldn't turn him down because right from the very moment she met him, she already knew she'd give into anything he wanted. 'Coz like she said before, he's Austin Moon and Austin Moon will (definitely) always be worth whatever risk she takes.

(Not that completely losing her mature sanity by playing in a kids' play pent was any risk or anything — sarcasm highly intended.)

"Yes." She tells him, nodding her head slightly as she bent down to kiss his cheek. "Yes."

"YES!" Austin beamed as he jumped up, accidentally hitting his head off the small counter's roof as Ally laughed a little while the receptionist behind it just rolled her eyes. He brought his hand up to rub the sore spot while wincing and saying, "Ow..."

"Are you okay?" Ally asked giggling, gently putting her hand over his own.

"Yeah." He smiles at her, his whole body frozen on the spot as he felt his cheeks heat up staring at her.

"That's good." She nodded at him, her little giggles softening up a bit.

"Boy and girl; are you gonna go in or are you just gonna stay out here flirting?" The receptionist asked, blowing up pink bubble gum as she checked her manicured little nails in one hand whilst using the other one to lean down on the counter for support.

"Didn't you hear her? She said 'Yes' which means: yes, we're going in!" He shouts out loud, gaining stares from the adults and children but he didn't care 'coz Ally said 'Yes' and to him, that's the only thing that matters right now.

_It's the obvious difference between Cassidy and Ally._

Grabbing Ally by the waist, he lifted her up from the countertop and carried her all the way into the play pent while she screamed and shouted at him to let her go as well as trying to suppress her little giggling fit. He smirked before throwing her down into the pool of plastic balls before he himself dived in.

The two teenager's laughter rang contagious through the air as Ally started to throw plastic balls at Austin who effortlessly caught them. He was trying to make his way to Ally in the midst of the laughing and screaming children with the sea of plastic balls while the brunette girl did her best to try and get away from him.

"Catch me if you can Mr. Moon!" She calls out to him, reaching the exit as she jumped out of the pool.

"Will do, Miss Dawson!" He grinned as he grabbed some plastic balls before he threw them at her, causing her to let out a surprised shriek.

"Mean!" Playfully sticking her tongue out at him, Ally ran out of the pool back towards the entrance of the play pent.

She crawled out to the other side and tried to make it through the sea of excited children wrestling each other for those thrown out plastic balls as she made her way over to the slide, looking back every now and then to see if that blonde-haired boy had caught up to her.

After checking that he was nowhere in sight, she nodded to herself before climbing up the rope ladder that lead to the free-fall slide, following a small brunette kid with butterfly wings and a pink frilly skirt. Reaching the top, she rashly sat down at the corner as she sighed to herself in relief, closing her eyes in contentment.

_This is actually quite nice._

"Pretty girl?" She heard someone call out as she felt someone tug at the hem of her pink floral dress. Poking one eye open, she saw the little brunette she was following looking at her with pleading puppy-eyes and a small pout on her lips.

"Yes?" She says, sweetly smiling at her as she found herself blush at the compliment that was the name the child had just called her.

"Will you slide the free-fall slide with me?" The little girl asked as she scooted closer over to Ally. She looked down at Ally's floral-patterned dress while mumbling, "I'm too small to go at it alone."

Ally smiled a little, gently bringing a hand up to brush some fallen strands of brown hair off the girl's small cute little face and tucking them behind her little ear.

"Okay." She says, softness laced through her voice as the girl looked up at her and grinned wide, showing her cute little pearly-white teeth.

"Thank you pretty girl!" She exclaimed, wrapping her small little arms around Ally's thin waist and hugging her tightly — as tight as she possibly could anyway — while nuzzling her head to the side of Ally stomach, softly chanting, "You're so nice!"

"Hahaha!" Letting out a soft laugh, the older brunette nodded as she lifted the little girl up before going over towards the edge of slide. "The slide shouldn't be too—"

Ally cut herself off the second she saw the height and state of the slide. Her eyes widened and she almost felt herself let go of the girl as her knees went weak with her whole legs collapsing under her nervous wrecking weight.

The slide was high — really high. And it wasn't just because it was high; it was damn straight as well. As if going down on it would actually mean falling.

Ally couldn't do it. She couldn't go through it. Her cowardice personality was taking over her and her fear of heights surfaced as scarring memories of her childhood replayed back on her mind. Her whole body shook as she held the little girl tighter against her chest, hugging the life out of the girl while sweat dripped down her forehead. Her throat went dry and she can feel her legs go numb with the lack of blood flow as she sat down at the edge of the slide.

Her head was spinning and pounding and her heart hammered hard against her rib cage as she felt herself lose air, making it harder to breathe. She suffocated and choked under her own fear while tears unconsciously formed at the corner of her eyes and she almost felt herself blackout — if not for the warm arms that had suddenly snaked around her whole body, enveloping her in a very secure and protective warmth that sent all the horrible thoughts flying out the window.

"It's okay." Austin whispered to her ear with his voice husky and calming as he held Ally tight. "I'm here so don't be scared."

Her whole body relaxed as her arms went limp, letting go of the confused little girl who had turned to look up at her with a concerned gleam in her eyes.

"Is the pretty girl okay?" She asks in a small little voice as Ally's eyes widened, tears threatening to fall out as Austin smiled a little at the girl.

"Yeah. She is." He says, hugging Ally tighter with one arm as his other hand gently played with her hair. "She's fine."

"But she looks like a ghost." The girl frowned, crossing her arms as she backed a bit, sitting down indian style right across Austin and Ally.

Austin laughed as he rested his chin on Ally's shoulder, rubbing her arm with his calloused finger as Ally sniffed a bit, trying to stop the tears from falling as she gave the cute little girl a small smile.

"I'm sorry sweetie. I can't go down that like I said." Ally smiled apologetically at the girl who just grinned at her.

"It's okay as long as the pretty girl is okay!" She exclaimed, making the two teenagers laugh at her cuteness.

Austin let Ally go as he stood up, sitting right at the edge of the slide beside the older brunette as he let his feet dangle down it. He patted his lap and gestured for the girl to come over which she eagerly did, sitting herself hastily down on his lap.

"The pretty girl can't do it but the cute, handsome and charming boy can." He grinned a cocky little grin as he let his conceit show off a bit while Ally giggled and rolled her eyes playfully at him.

"Okay!" The girl exclaimed as she jumped up and down sitting on his lap. "Thank you!"

"I know." He smiled a little, turning back to look at Ally who scooted close over to him, her lips forming a small little smile. "I'm a nice guy."

"You are." She tells him leaning down to kiss him slightly on the cheek before scrambling up to her feet and crawling back over to her own little corner.

Austin grinned wide before turning his focus back to the slide as he hugged the little girl tightly, whispering 'Careful and don't let go' into her ear before hopping off the slide as they both went down the flat and straight wall of it. The girl screamed out in both terror and happiness as Austin shouted out loud in glee while Ally watched them, laughing to herself there at the corner.

Austin's bum graced a little against the wall of the slide right before they reached the bottom as they slid down pass the last quarter, their screams dispersing all over the play pent. Once they finally stopped sliding against the floor, the girl excitedly stood up as she ran around and jumped all over the place screaming 'I did it'. Austin just stayed sitting down, watching the girl run around in a hyper state as he laughed to himself, his eyes sparking up in amusement.

"Thank you pretty boy!" She shouted, running over to him and hugging him unexpectedly.

The action — and the name — took him by surprise but he settled into it after, hugging her back with a small smile playing on his lips. The girl leaned into his ear and whispered something.

"Take care of the pretty girl 'coz you two are perfect together." She says so softly that Austin barely heard it.

(But he did and it made him happy; extremely incredibly happy.)

"I promise." He tells her as he pulled back, winking at her as she grinned wide.

"Pinky-swear?" She says, holding out her pinky as he just laughed and held his out, wrapping his own pinky around hers.

"I swear." He smiled and with that she let go of his pinky and ran off to God-knows-where, a small little smile adorning her pink lips as Austin sighed in relief and contentment.

He looked up a bit to see Ally waving at him and he smiled, seeing that excited little gleam in her eyes light up her whole entire face. She had a proud and very contented smile gracing her lips as she yelled out a 'Great job Austin' and a thumbs up before leaving to take the long way down.

He brought his head back down to stare at the ground, the smile on his lips slowly dissipating. His hand slowly and unconsciously traced the side of his left leg and he winced slightly, feeling it sting a little. Sighing, he laid back down on the floor of the slide, closing his eyes as he let the pain slowly slip away once again.

_Maybe I shouldn't have done that._

He was musing a little to himself before he felt someone else's presence beside him five or so minutes later. Without having to open his eyes, he already knew who it was as the person gently laced their slim and fragile little hand with his.

_But it's for Ally so I don't care._

"You did great Austin." The person says as he just smirked a little with his eyes still closed.

"Don't I always?" He said in a swaggering voice as he gently squeezed her hand.

"I guess so." She said, laying down beside him on the slide floor.

They didn't say anything after 'coz no words were needed to be spoken. Their interlock hands were actions loud enough as Ally too herself closed her eyes. Their breathing came out louder than the screams of those wild children as silence drowned out all other noise.

He smiles to himself as he poked one eye open, staring at her from the corner of that eye as she went down into dream world with her heavy breathing and silent smile. He closed his eye once again before letting himself drift off for a little bit, his mind swirling with thoughts of Ally and her bright glowing smile.

_It's for Ally and I'd do anything for Ally. That's a fact._

_:::_

The rain had stopped and the tips of each blade of grass sparkled with the crystal water dews. There's a glow off the pavement and the streets were glossy and shining as the sky up above them turned from the dark and dull gray to the warm mix of purple and orange. They walked down the street with one hand interlaced with the other's.

Ally's floral dress danced with the slight breeze as her other hand held a cone of fruity-mint swirl ice cream. Austin walked in a painfully slow pace, being just a few steps behind her as he busily texted away on his phone. They were wrapped up in an unfathomable silence that was accompanied by the click of Ally's heels against the tarmac ground.

"Where should we go now?" Ally asked, halting her tracks as she turned around to face Austin. She frowned a little as she raised an eyebrow, seeing Austin's eyes glued down staring at his phone. She bit at her bottom lip before deciding to speak again — Austin's silence an answer that she did not welcome — this time asking, "Who are you texting?"

"Just Dez." He hesitantly mumbled, snapping his attention back to her as he hid his phone away back in his pocket. "And we're going to the mall now."

"Just Dez?" She asked him, a scornful little frown daring to dawn on her lips as her eyes flashed at him a dangerous warning.

"Yeah. Just Dez." He casually shrugged, pulling her with him as he continued to walk on.

"It can't be just Dez..." She growled at him, jerking her hand off him as she stomped her foot hard onto the ground. Why she did that, she did not know.

He turned back a bit, quite surprised at her sudden outburst as he stared at her glaring brown eyes, his lips pursed into a tight line. He breathed out a little before turning back to walk on.

"It's none of your business who I text." He muttered, not meaning for her to hear but, she heard anyway and it suddenly struck her speechless and a little bit (a lot) hurt.

"Okay." She whispers lowly, starting to walk away with her head down and her heart aching. Three steps after, she halted before bolting away in full force.

Realization dawned down on Austin as his eyes widened in shock and fear as he watched Ally's back run pass him. He cursed at himself before running after her with his feet making loud thuds against the tarmac ground.

_Fuck sake Austin._

"No Ally! I didn't mean it like that!" He shouted after her as he finally nearly caught up with her before she turned back around to look at him with her eyes red and watery.

"Why don't you just tell me if you're texting Cassidy?" She shouted over to him with her lips quivering as he stopped dead on his tracks, his eyes wide in shock. "I don't mind Austin. Just be honest with me."

"Ally I—" He tried to explain but she cut him off with her voice an amplitude higher.

"And I'm not suppose to care anyway if you text her! We're just..." She stopped, looking straight down at the ground while she bit hard at her bottom lip — so hard it started to bleed. She looked up a little, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she spoke and said, "...friends."

She turned back around to continue running away as Austin stared surprise at her retreating back. His mouth was left hanging open as a million and one thoughts ran over his mind. He didn't even know how or when the conversation turned for the worst.

"What the fuck?" He shouted out before sighing in desperation while he ran a frustrated hand through his messy bleached-blonde hair.

_What the hell did I just do?_

_:::_

Confused, alone and completely broken, Ally walked down the glossy streets of the unfamiliar mall with her head down and her nose stuffed. Her eyes were red from all them cried out tears and her hair was still a little damp from the previous shower.

She felt like shit. She felt like utter and complete shit. Why she acted like that, she did not even know and God, she was such a child just running off on Austin like that. She shouldn't have been such a priss about it.

_He's right. It wasn't any of my business._

But she couldn't help herself. The sudden clench in her heart when he said that was too much to bare that it just made her take off. It felt like she needed to get away from him and anything she tried to say to fix the matter at hand came out like vomit — word vomit — and she couldn't stop all the poisonous truth she's tried so hard to hide.

(And it didn't help the fact that the first person she could blame it all on was Cassidy — a girl she's never even properly met before.)

She was such a child and she felt so ashamed of herself that she doesn't even want to look at Austin right now. She's too scared of the fact that maybe what she's done has driven him away and that he might say something that would send her completely over the edge.

_What if he thinks I like him and doesn't want to be friends anymore 'coz I'm just like all those other girls that flock and fawn over him?_

All the negatives thoughts swirled around Ally's little head and she couldn't help but feel herself tear up as all those unwanted possibilities crashed down on her. She sniffed out louder while shutting tight her eyes close as the tears forced their way out of her.

Taking one unconscious step forward, she didn't realize that there was another absent-minded fellow walking her way, causing her to bump into him and his rock-hard chest.

"Oh my god." She mutters to herself, inwardly cursing her clumsiness. "I'm so sor—"

She stopped talking right there as she looked up, only to see a boy with eyes so damn familiar to her. He had on a confused and slightly pained look as he rubbed his temple but his lovely features stood out with his pink and luscious lips complimenting his perfectly shaped nose. She'd know those features anywhere and as she reached a hand up to touch his cheek, she winced 'coz he took a startled step back.

"Austin?" She asked him in a very unsure tone as he just stood there and raised a confused eyebrow at her.

"Who's Austin?" He asked, his lips forming the slightest frown ever.

"What do you mean who's Austin?" Ally asked, frowning a bit as she took one step closer to him. "Are you that mad at me?"

"Sorry m'am but, I'm not Austin." The boy said, scratching the back of his neck as he looked down on her with an apologetic smile.

She was about to protest and tell him off for joking around with her while she tried her best to be serious but, something caught her eye and cut her off. His hair.

Now that she thinks about it, this boy — with the face as handsome as Austin's — actually was a little bit different. His hair was unruly and curly, colored with a light shade of brown and mixed with streaks of blonde and auburn. The shirt he wore wasn't like Austin's plain red t-shirt and he did not have a letterman jacket on him as well. This boy was definitely not Austin.

"Oh." Ally sighed, mentally kicking herself as she brought her head down in shame. "Of course."

"I'm Ralphy Hayes." The boy said, shyly offering her a small smile as she looked up to nod at him.

"Ally Dawson." She simply says before turning around to walk away, trying to save herself from anymore embarrassment.

But, before she could even fully bolt out, he grabbed her wrist and turned her around as she gasped in surprise before she looked up at him wide-eyed. He could only grin down at her in response.

"Are you okay?" He politely asks, his eyes staring at her beautiful brown ones with such amazement.

"Ye—yeah." She stuttered out, feeling herself blush as she turned to look down at the ground. "I—I'm fine."

"Are you lost?" He asked her, tilting his head a bit to the side so that his face was leveled with hers.

"Kind of." She not-so-proudly admitted as she looked down shamefully at the ground.

"I figured as much." He grinned before pulling her towards him.

She gasped once again as she nearly fell — if not for the fact that he had tugged at her to keep her balanced. He chuckled slightly at her clumsy antics while he dragged her off to wherever, the grin on his lips playful as his cheeks tinted itself pink.

"You looked a little dazed." He tells her, still happily walking down pass the closing stores of the mall, unaware of Ally nervously chewing at her hair behind him. He looked back a bit to see if she's okay only to raise an eyebrow the second he came face-to-face with Ally with a mouthful of hair. He smirked before asking, "Are you okay?"

"No." She mumbled, spitting out the hair as she stared hard at the ground. "I'm not okay."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" He asked her, his grin gentleman-like that it would make most girls swoon — had they not been Ally.

"You're a stranger so, no." Ally said curtly, rolling her eyes as she jerked her wrist out of his grasp. "And I got to go."

Ally began her walk away from him but the boy was pretty stubborn and followed after her with his hands in his pocket. He had on a crooked grin and as Ally glanced at him for a split second, she could almost swear she saw a little flash of Austin.

Austin with that smile and Austin with that hair and Austin with that drunk state and Austin with the hero-complex on her and Austin with the everything!

She couldn't help it 'coz even with the fact that she's only known him for two weeks, it doesn't change how she felt for him. It doesn't change the way she feels like melting when he smiles and it doesn't change the sudden fast pace of her heartbeat when they touch. It doesn't change just how much she wants to get to know him and it absolutely does not change the fact that she knows — she knows it so fucking well — that she's in love with him.

_I'm in love with Austin Moon._

"I'm sorry, what?" She heard someone call out and she looked up to see Ralphy staring at her with his concerned and confused brown eyes.

"Did I just say that out loud?" Ally asked him, her face seeming passive.

"Yeah." He shrugged as she nodded.

"You know what Ralphy? I'm not okay." She blurts out, finally having had enough of bottling every single thing up inside her. "You wanna know why?"

"Why?" Ralphy asked, his face fear-stricken as his eyes went wide in surprise.

"Because I'm jealous." She simply says. She grabbed his collar unexpectedly and looks him dead in the eye before starting off one of her very infamous rambles. "I'm jealous of a girl named Cassidy who's so fucking flawless and perfect with her pretty hair and gorgeous blue eyes and her cocky smile and the fact that she and Austin may or may not have had a history! I'm jealous of the way he stared at her last Wednesday night and I'm jealous 'coz she probably knows a million and one more things about him than me!"

"Right." He nods, listening intently but not daring to say another word.

"And you know why else I'm so not fucking fine? 'Coz I'm jealous and I'm not suppose to be jealous 'coz Austin and I are friends and _only_ friends but I'm jealous 'coz I have feelings for him that he probably will never ever fucking return!" She shouts loud, now finally letting go of her hold on Ralphy's collar as she started to pace back and forth around the mall.

"Okay..." He trails off with his arms folded, raising up a very amused eyebrow at her as she went on again in another set of rambles.

"And I hate him for making me feel this way! I hate how when I think of him I just wanna curse and curse even when I know rightly well that cursing is wrong 'coz it's improper and it's not nice and it is a sin and it can hurt feelings and it—"

She was cut off in the most unexpected of ways and she couldn't believe just what had happened. Her mouth hung open against Ralphy's soft lips while her whole body stood frozen as he wrapped his strong — and surprisingly muscular — arms around her little waist, pulling her closer to him. Her eyes shut close in contentment as she felt herself give in to the kiss, feeling no cliché or sparks flying at all.

_It's his lust to comfort and my lust for comfort._

The kiss was getting rough and Ally was slowly losing her sane state of mind. And no matter how much she wants to stop she couldn't because she has already long let go of her own control over her actions.

But before Ally could let her tongue slip out to Ralphy's mouth, he pulled away, panting as his eyes sparked in contentment. He breathe in deeply as much air as he possibly could before letting her waist go and turning away.

"Go." He mutters, taking his gaze to stare down at the ground.

"Excuse me?" She asked in slight confusion as she tilted her head a bit to look at him and his contemplating face.

"Go find your Austin." He says, lifting his head up a bit to stare down at her, his eyes locking with hers for a short second.

"But I—" She tried to protest but he cut her off.

"I'd feel bad if he lost someone as special as you." He says before turning around and starting to walk away from her.

"But we're not together!" Ally shouts after him, making him stop to turn and look at her with his whiskey-colored eyes.

_They're not the same soft brown eyes Austin owns..._

"You kissed me and you want me to kiss you again but the truth is, you just want him to kiss you." He said, the tone of his voice lazy and dazed as he turned around again to walk off, away from her. "You're pissed at him and you want someone to comfort you in this one bad time and because he's not here, you used me as a replacement."

_I know you'll deny it but, it's the truth and you know it yourself._

"That's not true!" Ally shouted out over to him as his back started to slowly leave her sight.

_But it is._

* * *

**-x-**

* * *

**IMPORTANT!**

I know what you're thinking. 'WHAT THE FUDGE IS RALPHY HAYES DOING HERE?' or if you're that naïve, 'WHO THE FUDGE IS RALPHY HAYES?' Well, here's a short and sweet answer, he's the dog food guy from 'Kangaroos & Chaos' episode & I'm sorry, I just wanted to write about him. LOL. He's actually my obsession right now & don't even ask why. My lack of sleep may have caused this... On another note, I like what happened here, just not how I wrote it so, please excuse this crappy chapter. & my God, I couldn't beta-read it properly 'coz I was halfway falling asleep as I read on so, I'll try to beta-read it properly by Monday. 'Til then, just enjoy this update & of course, review. That is all. I'm away to sleep now... & oh, sorry for not updating on Monday. I'm trying to get back on my 'update every Friday' track so...yeah.


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